In a recent Sightings (April 3), Professor W. Clark Gilpin writes, “It is frequently the case in myth and religious narrative that things are not what they seem. Strangers, animals, even plants, turn out to be gods.” There are plenty of cases in our modern world in which the opposite is true, namely, that gods turn out to be strangers, animals, or even plants. The god whom I call on and deem charitable and empathic is reduced to a devouring monster in the eyes of those on the outside. And the gods of other men, charitable as they may be, become the beasts that threaten to annihilate me.

Many of us watching the apocalyptic visions of “shock and awe” could not but ask, with agonizing perplexity: What aspect of the almighty, supernatural Being is revealed, when, in the name of one civilization and god, the Christian’s, another civilization and god, the Muslim’s, is smashed and brought low? This occurred even as Allah’s assistance was sought to defend his people from the devastating attacks of those invoking the name of Christ. This is the quintessence of the tragedy and, yet, a familiar scenario, which has not changed since biblical times. Nations fight against each other, invoking their gods in battle. What messages, then, do our respective gods have for us and others who seek their help in this shattered world?

When we look in the mirror to find the true image of ourselves, that is, the Tselem or created image of the divine (Genesis 1:26), what characteristics of divinity do we find there? Is our search for the divine in ourselves a narcissistic trap or an eye-opening event? Do we see what we really are, mirrored reflections of opposing and varied gods, or do we narrow our perspective, as with a magnifying glass, to create a false image or idol of the god we want for ourselves -- an exclusionary, partisan, and patronizing god?

Furthermore, once we recognize the true diversity at work in our reflection, does this have the power to change or transform us? Can we see the mirrored image appearing in the form of an empathy-showing “selfobject,” as psychoanalyst Heinz Kohut described it? That is to say, will we see there the image of a god who will never fail us when we truly need him? Or shall we see there the god who undergoes, or succumbs to, the vicissitudes of our political agenda? Our mental state of mind, in which humanism, grace, and compassion should prevail, is in need of a god who does not speak two languages when addressing the same issue. We may be able to show tolerance to one another, if and when we encounter a god who helps us collect ourselves, gather the broken shreds, and regain a sound mind. If we fail -- or refuse -- to see what is at stake our reflection becomes distorted by our faults, mistakes, perverted wishes, and animalistic drives. And when these characteristics are made manifest and mixed with triumphalist zeal, we deceive ourselves and others by using terms like “humane charity” and “political benevolence.” The answer then depends on who we are when we look in the mirror. It also depends on who God is in each case.

The State of Israel celebrates its 55th birthday today, May 7th. For the Israelis this is Independence Day. And when they thank their god for this event and reflect on what it means, they expect him to justify what they have done and what they continue to do. For the Palestinians it is a day of mourning, a reminder of all that has been lost. And when they bow down before their god on this day, he whispers words of hope, peace, and renewed strength in light of deeply felt pain and misery. Does this make the god of the Jewish people the stronger, more successful one? Can Israelis and Palestinians look each other in the eye and discover within their enemy a god of empathy? Or are they doomed to see there only eyes that express abysmal difference, hatred, and rage? And, if this is the sad case, can we hope for or trust anything that we see in Our Mirrored Reflection?

We shall see. And hopefully we will.

Author, Ithamar Gruenwald, lives in Jerusalem. He teaches at Tel Aviv University, Israel, at the Department of Jewish Philosophy and the Program in Religious Studies. For many years he has been closely associated with the University of Chicago Divinity School.