Links are everywhere I look, often when I do not want to see them. It is especially true with outcomes in the mirror because of the actions of my hands and feet. Each links to my criticism of others just a few days ago. It is almost as if one fell into the same trap as everyone else and refuses to acknowledge it. The switch in positions can be denied. However, the evidence is there if one is willing to look honestly.
Looking in the mirror is not easy, especially when it is yourself. Some of my most difficult challenges have come when I have had to look at what is within me. The act of reading a contrast MRI of my brain took hours. Yes, there were multiple snapshot-slices as the scanner slowly moved across my head, but one could click through these quickly. The challenge was linked to the certainty that this was the real me, healthy or otherwise.
Understanding how similar we are to those we criticize and often think less of is humbling. When one is called out, even by oneself, it is different. The accusations then, and now, carry a sting; “Here you are abusing these same citizens! Isn’t it the high and mighty who exploit you, who use the courts to rob you blind?” (James 2.6).
Our response will echo our view of Divinity.
In forgiving oneself, one opens to the door to change and growth. Without forgiveness, it is hard, I find impossible, to move on differently. I cannot deal with the past on top of the present. One naturally precedes the other.
Hard work is easier when one shares it with another. If I want to change my heart, working with Divinity who is defined by care, kindness, and compassion, will accelerate the process. While it will still be hard, it can be marginally less difficult.
Great journeys have many steps. Forgiveness and hard work are not one-time events. We are in a battle for our lives. In the fight for each moment, we will write our story.
