Thursday, March 5, 2015

Thursday, March 5, 2015

John 5:21-29

“For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; and he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.”

Fr. Richard Rohr suggests that we read this passage with the idea of a “mirror” in mind. The Son does what he sees the Father doing (v. 19). The Father gives life, and the Son gives life (v. 21). The Father has life in himself, and the Son has life in himself (v. 26).  This passage echoes themes in John’s prologue (John 1:18): “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known” (who has mirrored, or reflected, God to the world).

            The “mirroring” is not just between the Father and the Son. The Father has also given the Son the authority to judge which is his ability to hold a mirror before us and reveal who we really are. What would we see? Not the person we pretend to be, not the person we aspire to be, not the person we convince ourselves we are. Instead, we would see the raw, naked truth of who we are, including all those beautiful parts we deny and all those difficult parts we prefer to hide.

            I remember learning the Johari window in psychology, a four-quadrant image to help us think about our identity. Part of our identity is made of all those aspects that we know and that others know: the open self. Part of our identity is made of those aspects we know but others do not: our hidden self. A third part is made of those aspects unknown to us but known to others: our blind self. The final part of ourselves is completely mysterious to us and others: our unknown self.

            A fruitful Lenten practice may be to use the Johari window as part of a self-examination. If we stood before Christ’s “mirror,” what would we discover? What parts of ourselves are we most open about sharing? What do we choose to hide, and why? What beautiful/painful truths have others taught us about ourselves? What experiences might uncover parts of our unknown self?

            As Jesus mirrors the life and love of God to us, he reveals our illusions and opens us to truth. During our Lenten journey, let’s be challenged and encouraged by the words of the opening collect: “Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires are known, and from you no secrets are hid. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your name…

- David Shumaker