I am in process of considering, ruminating, editing, accepting/rejecting, re-accepting/re-rejecting, thinking about, thinking about the opposite about, and weighing these and other thoughts – collected here, in this mess!
“Judgement is self-abandonment,” (G. Doyle, Untamed).
Regarding a dysfunctional relationship, “there is no protection for what happens when we stand before God and are honest about the things in our life that are dysfunctional and hurt other people. There is only vulnerability. You are going to have to be willing, today, to stand in front of the mirror and ask yourself, “what part of the dysfunctional relationship do you play, do you hold, and what are you supposed to do about it?” (D. Clinton, 10/9/2022, Forts Sermon Series. Reflecting on the rich young ruler.
17 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do so that I may inherit eternal life?” 18 But Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not give false testimony, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth.” 21 Looking at him, Jesus showed love to him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But he [a]was deeply dismayed by [b]these words, and he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.
Mark 10: 17-22
Mark is the only record of the three gospels recording this event, Mark is the only noting, “…and Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said……..” ESV.
As to Danny’s comment opening, “…there is no protection…” this would refer to the space in front of the mirror – there is simply no place for pretense, games, positioning, “self-protecting” which really masks offensive maneuvers to avoid….rather, if one will look, one will see the loving eyes of Jesus – these are the eyes Danny calls us to in our relationships with others as we, like Jesus, say to others and to ourselves, “I simply don’t choose the choices you are putting in front of me; I want more and better for us.” (D. Clinton, 10/9/2022, Forts Sermon Series).
This would be why Jesus’ response may seem a bit sassy (Mark 10: 19 and 10: 21).
“you know the commandments……..
[then, after looking at the rich young ruler with love],
“one thing you lack….”
Thus, Jesus will not have the positioning of FDR of his persona and his actual body on the hospital bed when initially wracked with polio (see Still Creek reflections on Michaelis, D., 2021, Eleanor).
The mirror, to which Danny calls us, is set within the description of our posture to others and to God described by James:
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1: 19-27
In the case, the more/better/longer/truer that we look in the mirror, yes at ourselves, inversely, yes, we will be the better for others for being that much truer and in-step with God for us and for those with whom we are in relationship – be that service (James 1:26-27) and those we are in life with.