Only a mirror fragment

Awell-educated, Greek philosopher named Dr. Alexander Popaderous taught an ethics class every summer on the island of Crete. This particular summer, during the last few minutes of the last day of class, Dr. Popaderos said, “Now are there any questions before we go?” Just as he was getting ready to dismiss the class, a small rather timid looking man in the back of the room, carefully raised his hand and said, “Dr. Popaderos? I have a question.” The man asked, “I'd like to know, what is the meaning of life?”

As you can imagine, people were ready to go home, and they were very irritated by this little fellow's heavy question! Dr. Popaderos very quickly quieted the group. “If you don't mind, I'd like to answer that question.” He reached into his back pocket and took out his wallet. He took out of the wallet a little mirror about the size of a fifty-cent piece, honed down on the edges, kind of sparkling. And then he told this tale. He said, “When I was a child, I began to realize that I could have so much fun with this mirror. I would simply catch the glint of the sun and shine that mirror into an otherwise darkened place. As I grew older, I began to learn that this is no child's toy. This is really a metaphor of my life.”

“Now I am not the light – I am not the source of the light. I am simply a broken mirror fragment. But if I allow the sun to shine on my mirror fragment, it is amazing what light I can bring into the darkness.” Then he said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, that is the meaning of life.”

Each of us is a mirror fragment. We are not the Light. We are not the source the Light. We are simply a broken mirror fragment. But when we permit the SON to hit our mirror fragment, and then bounce off into the life of a darkened heart, there can be change, there can be illumination.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)