The mirror

Recently, I was reintroduced to Man in the Mirror. I had forgotten how powerful this song is. Combined with the music video, it should make us cry. 

Monday week, I read an article about how the City of Daytona had declared a state of emergency. Their police department was overwhelmed by the violence spring breakers were causing. 

We all know about the conflicts happening around the world. Iran. Ukraine, for example. Satan is running wild. And hate is his primary tool. 

We sit back and speculate; how did we get here? Deep down, we know how we got here. We have taken God out of everything. We’ve taken him out of our schools. We’ve taken him out of our homes. We’ve taken him off the street. We’ve taken him out of church. We’ve taken him out of the overall conversation. We talk about everything but how dare you talk about Jesus. 

Someone once asked, why are Atheists so hostile over Jesus? You know what? Atheists are talking about him. They don’t believe but they are talking. And we Christians are giving them more and more negative fuel. What do we Christians do? We tote him out on Christmas and Easter then put him back on a shelf. We weaponize Christ. We take this Bible verse and that Bible verse and use them as bombs. And we speculate why the world is going to -. Insert your desired word here.  

Christians, let’s talk about him. Christ came to this world to redeem sinners. Yes, he had some harsh things to say. It isn’t our job to weed out the sin. Our job is plant the seed. Plant that seed of love, forgiveness and faith. God will do the rest. 

Wear your shirts with Bible verses on them. Wear your jewelry. Give out Bible tracks. Use your Jesus ink pens. Because where does the seed of love start? It starts with you! It starts with the human in the mirror. 

Thank you God for the reminder; the change I want to see starts with me. 

Lyrics:

Man in the Mirror

Song by Michael Jackson

I’m gonna make a change

For once in my life

It’s gonna feel real good

Gonna make a difference, gonna make it right

As I turn up the collar on my favorite winter coat

This wind is blowin’ my mind

I see the kids in the street with not enough to eat

Who am I to be blind, pretending not to see their needs?

A summer’s disregard, a broken bottle top

And a one man’s soul

They follow each other on the wind, ya know

‘Cause they got nowhere to go

That’s why I want you to know

I’m starting with the man in the mirror

I’m asking him to change his ways

And no message could have been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself and then make a change

Na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na-na

Uh-huh

I’ve been a victim of a selfish kinda love

It’s time that I realize

There are some with no home, not a nickel to loan

Could it be really me pretending that they’re not alone?

A willow deeply scarred, somebody’s broken heart

And a washed-out dream (a washed-out dream)

They follow the pattern of the wind, ya see

‘Cause they got no place to be

That’s why I’m starting with me

I’m starting with the man in the mirror (who?)

I’m asking him to change his ways (who?)

And no message could have been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself and then make a change

I’m starting with the man in the mirror (who?)

I’m asking him to change his ways (who?)

And no message could have been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself and then make that change

I’m starting with the man in the mirror (oh, yeah)

I’m asking him to change his ways (oh, you better change)

No message could have been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself and then make the change

You gotta get it right while you got the time

‘Cause when you close your heart (you can’t)

Then you close your (your) mind (that man, that man)

With the man in the mirror, oh, yeah (that man, that man)

I’m asking him to change his ways (that man, that man, that man)

Oh, you better change (you know, that man)

And no message could have been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself and then make that change

Na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na-na

(Ooh) gonna feel real good, yeah (oh, yeah)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (na-na-na), yeah, yeah (na-na-na, na-na-na-na)

Oh-oh, oh, no

I’m gonna make a change

It’s gonna feel real good, shamone (change)

Just lift yourself, you know

You’ve got to start with yourself (yeah)

I gotta make that change today

(Man in the mirror) you’ve got to

You got to start with yourself, brother

(Yeah) you know

I’ve got to be that man, that man

(Man in the mirror) you’ve got to

You got to move, shamone, shamone

You got to stand up (yeah), stand up (make that change), stand up

Stand up and lift yourself now (man in the mirror)

Go make that change, shamone (man in the mirror)

You know it, you know it, you know it, you know (change)

Make that change

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Glen Ballard / Siedah Garrett

Man in the Mirror lyrics © Universal Music Corp., Yellowbrick Road Music, Arlovol Music, In The Mirror Music Publishing