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Seven Years' Bad Luck
By John Bishop, Director of Spiritual Formation, based on this week's MS/HS chapel message
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Seven years’ bad luck”? This saying has been passed down to us all the way from ancient Rome. The Romans believed that a person’s reflection carried a portion of their soul, and that shattering a mirror, a rare and valuable object in the ancient world, damaged that soul as well. They also believed the soul renewed itself in seven-year cycles, giving rise to the familiar phrase we still casually repeat today.
Behind this superstition is a deeply human assumption: that time heals all wounds. While we no longer view broken mirrors with the same fear, the idea still resonates. Many people continue to believe, consciously or not, that a broken reflection points to a broken life, and that enough time will eventually make things right.
We’ve all experienced brokenness followed by a long season of healing. We’ve watched relationships fracture and, with effort and patience, slowly rebuild trust. But what about relationships that are never restored? What about wounds that seem to deepen with time rather than fade? Does time truly heal all wounds?
Time alone is not enough. If it were, the sin of Adam and Eve would not have echoed through history and into our own lives. Brokenness doesn’t merely fade—it spreads. What we need is more than time; we need a healer who can gather the pieces and make us whole again.
Jesus invites us into that healing relationship. Scripture reminds us in Psalm 147:3, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” And in 2 Corinthians 5:17, we are given this promise: “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!”
But Christ’s work does not stop with our own restoration. As recipients of grace, we are also called to become agents of healing. Through repentance, forgiveness, and love, we reflect the restoration God has shown us, helping mend broken relationships and shattered situations around us. While time may play a role in healing, the gospel declares something far greater: restoration begins the moment we turn to Christ. He is the Great Physician, and He stands ready to restore all who call on Him
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Have you ever heard the phrase, “Seven years’ bad luck”? This saying has been passed down to us all the way from ancient Rome. The Romans believed that a person’s reflection carried a portion of their soul, and that shattering a mirror, a rare and valuable object in the ancient world, damaged that soul as well. They also believed the soul renewed itself in seven-year cycles, giving rise to the familiar phrase we still casually repeat today.
Behind this superstition is a deeply human assumption: that time heals all wounds. While we no longer view broken mirrors with the same fear, the idea still resonates. Many people continue to believe, consciously or not, that a broken reflection points to a broken life, and that enough time will eventually make things right.
We’ve all experienced brokenness followed by a long season of healing. We’ve watched relationships fracture and, with effort and patience, slowly rebuild trust. But what about relationships that are never restored? What about wounds that seem to deepen with time rather than fade? Does time truly heal all wounds?
Time alone is not enough. If it were, the sin of Adam and Eve would not have echoed through history and into our own lives. Brokenness doesn’t merely fade—it spreads. What we need is more than time; we need a healer who can gather the pieces and make us whole again.
Jesus invites us into that healing relationship. Scripture reminds us in Psalm 147:3, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” And in 2 Corinthians 5:17, we are given this promise: “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!”
But Christ’s work does not stop with our own restoration. As recipients of grace, we are also called to become agents of healing. Through repentance, forgiveness, and love, we reflect the restoration God has shown us, helping mend broken relationships and shattered situations around us. While time may play a role in healing, the gospel declares something far greater: restoration begins the moment we turn to Christ. He is the Great Physician, and He stands ready to restore all who call on Him
Westminster Christian School, located in Palmetto Bay, Florida, is a private, college-preparatory school for children from preschool through twelfth grade.