It is difficult to believe that it is that time of the year again when most people go away on well-deserved holidays, celebrate Christmas and perhaps also look forward to a fresh year full of new and hopefully exciting challenges.  New Year is also the time for making resolutions (which most of us usually don’t stick to) and a time to reflect on the year gone by.

We’ve decided to focus on Inventors and Inventions in this issue.  Now we all know that God is the absolute platinum-award winner when it comes to being an Inventor.  One just has to look at Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” and Colossians 1:16-17 “For byHim all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” – now who on earth can beat that?!

Have you ever wondered who invented the mirror?  Let’s start with the definition of a mirror, given that any naturally reflective surface may be able to serve as one in many contexts. The first mirrors used by people were most probably pools of water.  It’s difficult to pinpoint the invention of the mirror to any one person but, if we were to look at the mirror as a mass-produced item, you would be drawn to early mirrored obsidian stones. Archaeologists have discovered polished stones such as these in Turkey.  If you’re looking for a more precise answer to the question of who invented the mirror and your definition is that of the mirrors we have commonly hanging in our houses today, you need look no further than a German chemist named Justus von Liebig. In 1835, he created the first modern mirror by applying a layer of metallic silver to the back of a pane of glass. This created what was a template for the first mass production of the modern mirror.

The mirror is one of those inventions that have become such a permanent fixture in our lives that we cannot live without it (especially us girls). Mirrors are commonly used for personal grooming or admiring oneself (just ask my teenage daughter!).  Though they have many practical uses and benefits, mirrors are also an important part of our culture from a superstitious and fictitious point of view.  Even today there are cultures where a mirror is considered to be a taboo as it is believed that a mirror shines a reflection of the soul back at the viewer, which brings me to my point: do you like the reflection you see in the mirror?  Is it perhaps one of your New Year’s resolutions to “re-invent” yourself to become a better husband/wife, parent/child, brother/sister, friend, employee, student etc… I know I have quite a few New Year’s resolutions written down…

Happy Reading!

Mel Flanegan