Mirror Image: Narcissus and Echo

Available for 21 days

Good morning, I’m an identical twin. When I was a child I used to look at my twin sister and wonder what I was doing over there. Seeing myself reflected in another person, now much older, is still an unsettling experience. And it’s different from how I see myself in the mirror. The Greek myth of Narcissus tells the story of a beautiful hunter who rejected all his admirers, including the talkative nymph, Echo. Echo was punished for her distracting chatter by the goddess Hera. Hera condemned Echo to repeat only the last words spoken to her. Having fallen in love with Narcissus, Echo was tragically unable to tell him of her love. But as punishment for his vanity, the gods made Narcissus fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. From then on, gazing on his image to the exclusion of all else he wasted away until he died, when the narcissus flower sprung up in his memory. The present season of Lent is a sustained time of reflection. Unlike Narcissus who focused entirely on himself to the exclusion of everyone else - looking but not seeing, we are invited to reflect on the bigger picture. Focusing on the detail can be a gift, and it can save countless lives, but when self-preoccupation blinds us to each other’s needs, we can become lost. Narcissus and Echo had failed to consider each other as well as the wider horizon. I pray that we learn to see with hearts as well as eyes, mirroring kindness, integrity and truth. As we approach Easter, may we never lose sight of the world and therefore, our deepest self. Amen.