Mirrors

Genesis 1:27
"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."

Nehemiah 9:28-29
"But as soon as they had rest, they again did what was evil. So you left them to their enemies who ruled over them. When they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven. Because of your mercy, you saved them again and again [28]. You warned them to return to your teachings, but they were proud and did not obey your commands. If someone obeys your laws, he will live, but they sinned against your laws. They were stubborn, unwilling, and disobedient [29]."

      These two verses look like they have absolutely nothing in common, nor do they appear to have any relation to mirrors. However, I think I can prove otherwise.

      From the very beginning of our American lives, we are trained to look into mirrors. Many societies have no such device, nor do they have a need for mirrors. In America, we are a vain people. Over the course of our lives, we spend countless hours staring deeply into our reflection, trying to correct the imperfections, hide the flaws, and make our appearance better overall. It is extremely likely that girls spend more time in front of the mirror than guys, but we are all guilty of some level of vanity.
      But this obsession of looking into mirrors is not innate; little children have to learn how to use mirrors. At first, most children are confused by the person looking back at them. For all they know, it could be another person; it is impossible for a young child to recognize himself in a mirror. It takes a long process of sitting in front of a mirror, holding up a hand, and watching the reflection do the same. After a while, it starts to register in the brain that this reflection is you. From then on out, the person is constantly looking in the mirror, searching for imperfections and wishing to be better.
      Genesis 1:27 says God made us in His image. He made us to be a reflection of Him: when He looks into our world, He should be able to see Himself staring back. But He doesn't. It's very similar to Through the Looking Glass, where Alice stepped through her mirror and entered a world that is the complete opposite of the real world. God reached into our world by sending Jesus, and by doing this, Jesus entered a world that was the complete opposite of the world it reflects. We were made to be reflections of God and our actions should mimic His, similar to how the image in a mirror can do nothing without the movement of the thing it reflects.
      Our failure to reflect God is comparable to a broken mirror--it is a broken image of the beauty it reflects. God should be able to look at this world and be proud of what He sees: a world of love and mercy. However, He looks at it and can see all of its imperfections. Yes, He continues to love the world He created, despite the cracks in the image. But why should we take advantage of His never-ending love?
      Count up all the times you sinned--every wrong thought, every wrong word or action, that you did or will do--and you will start to see what a broken fragment of a mirror you are. Now try to count up all the times God has had mercy on you, all the times He loved you. It would be an impossible task. We continue to fail, but God's love never ends, never fails. Nehemiah 9:28-29 describes a cycle that the Israelites went through, and that every human goes through. We rebel and when the situation becomes sticky, we cry for God's help. God helps us, and we respond with more rebellion (and the cycle continues). Yet, despite our failures, God keeps loving us. He never gives up on us, He does not grow weary with us.
      What if we reflected God's love, His infinite and perfect love? Instead of being a shattered mirror, each person would reflect God's heart and live like Christ. The world would cease to exist as the backwards and broken image, but the true reflection of God, the way He intended us to be. God would be able to look at the world He created in His image and see clearly His reflection.