I have recently been studying the human brain—and it is a marvel of creation. One aspect that fascinates me are mirror neurons. These neurons allow us to learn, grow, and develop by mirroring our caregivers. Mirror neuron activity is easily noticeable in babies. One of my favorite pastimes is smiling at babies because I’m assured to receive a smile back (I bet you are reflexively smiling now as you think about smiling babies).

Thankfully, our mirror neurons stay with us as adults and give us the gift and ability to empathize. But, like any gift, they can also be used for ill. As an example, if our first morning interaction with someone is negative, that can set the tone for the rest of the day. Unconsciously, our mirror neurons absorb and reflect these experiences.

The same is true of our internal experiences with God. As Dr. T. R. Jennings describes in his book, The God-Shaped Brain, “It’s a neurological fact that people who have a loving mental representation of God tend to have a greater capacity to experience God’s compassion and live with the complexity [of human experience].” Unfortunately, a Baylor Religion Survey revealed that most of us do not have a compassionate view of God. The data showed that:

• 31 percent believe in an Authoritarian God, who is very judgmental and engaged
• 25 percent believe in a Benevolent God, who is not judgmental but engaged
• 23 percent believe in a Distant God, who is completely removed
• 16 percent believe in a Critical God, who is judgmental but not engaged
• 5 percent did not believe in God

As you can imagine, this has a dramatic effect on our capacity to receive and give forgiveness—including forgiving ourselves. As Dr. Greg Boyd writes in Cross Vision, “The depth of our transformation into the likeness of Christ will never outrun the Christlikeness of our [internal] representation of God.”

I hope you can join us this week as we continue the healing journey of the person that can often be the most difficult to forgive—ourselves.