The Image of the Self
Dear Savannah and Sutton,
When I take a trolley here in the city, I often pass by buildings that have graffiti painted on the walls. In some cases I can see that the wall has been painted over many times, resulting in layers upon layers of graffiti. I feel like that is also true of humans. Advertisers, social media, comments from friends, comparisons to others, religious rules, and social norms are all sources of “graffiti” that covers over a person’s true identity. I know that even my parenting contributed another layer of paint to the masking of your true self, and I am sorry for that. I hope that the inward journey has already led to a re-discovery of the beautiful, wonderful, magnificent you that has always formed the core of who you are.
-Dad
Inside Out Lectionary Letters
Year A - Third Sunday of Advent
Readings for December 14, 2025
Isaiah 35:1-10 / Psalm 146:5-10 / James 5:7-10 / Matthew 11:2-11
The final five psalms all begin and end with the Hebrew phrase Hallelujah Yah (Praise the Lord). They serve as a final doxology in the collection of songs, focusing on praise as a vital aspect of faith.
In Psalm 146, the listener is cautioned against trusting in earthly power, and invited to put hope in the Lord God. The psalmist contrasts the fleeting power of human leaders with the eternal reign of God. It celebrates God as the faithful Creator and compassionate King. In verses 7-9 we find a link to the Gospel lectionary reading for the week, in that the list of God’s attributes are comparable to the declarations of Jesus’ ministry in Matthew 11. It is both a psalm of comfort and a call to trust in God.
The journey of faith invites us to move from the obsession we have with outward circumstances and events to reflection on the inner world of thought, feelings, intuition, conflict, fear and faith. We now move from simply taking in information through our senses to listening to the inward dialogue of our soul. We move from seeing creation in terms of the heavens, earth, sea and all that is within them, to considering the mind, the heart, the unconscious and all that is within them.
In the inner space of our being we consider the parts of ourselves that are oppressed and marginalized by our own defense mechanisms. We try to hear the voice of those parts of ourselves that are malnourished and hunger for grace instead of judgment. We search for the keys to unlock the chains of criticism that have kept us from living full and free.
Our inner journey is often hindered by our preoccupation with those whose power is temporary, whose judgement is skewed and whose treatment of us is objectively wrong. We give them royalty status because when we first encounter them we are children. We have no experience against which to compare their statements, treatment or behavior. We don’t know that they are mortal with their own set of problems and dysfunctions. So we hold onto beliefs about ourselves that are not based on truth, but rather based on another person’s psychosis. The journey inward opens up our vision to a self that is underneath all of the distorted graffiti of our outward experiences. It is a self that holds the image of the divine. It is a self that was and is and always will be fearfully and wonderfully made.
Prayer
Lord, I put my trust in You—the Eternal One who reigns forever. Guide me as I try to wean myself from relying on shifting human opinions and powers, and root me instead in my true authentic self. Open my eyes to see the vulnerable and wounded side of myself so that I might then actually have eyes to see the wounded around me. And give me courage to act in love toward both. Amen.