Narcissus in the 21st Century

You remember the tale of Narcissus. Narcissus (from Greek mythology) was a hunter who was known for his good looks. He loved himself so much that he disdained others who loved him. One such person was Echo, the mountain nymph. She attempted to embrace him, but he rebuffed her and she ended up alone and vanishing, leaving nothing but an echo. Nemesis, the goddess of revenge, heard about it and lured Narcissus to a pool where he saw his own reflection. Narcissus fell in love with it, realized eventually his love would never be returned, and committed suicide.

Jump to the 21st century. Where is Narcissus today?

You've seen him on Facebook and Instagram, posting so many selfies that Real California Milk made a joke about it. You'll encounter him on the freeway, the guy (or girl) who decides that the lane you're in is now his/hers and the speed you're going is irrelevant; you'll have to adjust to suit him/her. She's the one texting at 60 mph while weaving from lane to lane because "this is important" (and you're not). He's the one who decided that he needed to turn right instead of left and should certainly be allowed to cross four lanes of traffic in 10 feet to get there. She's in the grocery store, looking for that one particular brand of olives with her cart sideways in the aisle. Oh, you can't get through? No problem; you can wait. He's the kid who decides to cross the street here because this is where he is and right there is where he wants to go and traffic will stop, so they don't require a second thought. The 21st century Narcissus doesn't even notice that no one else matters. Nor does he notice when you do something nice for him because, after all, you ought to have done that for him. She doesn't notice when you open the door for her or let him into your lane of traffic or change lanes to get out of their way. Conversely, he would never think to do the same for anyone else.

This, of course, is not new to the 21st century, even if we've managed to expand the opportunities of self-expression for the 21st century Narcissus. No, it's not new, nor is it rare. It is human. It is a product of the self-centered Natural Man. So it's not a surprise. It is a problem when it is Christians immersed in this. Narcissus was in love with himself. We are commanded to love others as we love ourselves (Matt 22:39). We are commanded to "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Phil 2:3-4)

Yes, Narcissus was in love with himself. It is human nature, in fact. It cost Narcissus love and life. It will do the same for us. We are told to love God first and love others second. If we, as Christians, embody the 21st century Narcissus, we are not acting as Christians. We are acting as our sinful, self-centered world acts. And we might just reap the same reward that Narcissus did for doing so.