The Mirror Has Given Way to the Face, A Tribute to Karl Lachler
The Mirror Has Given Way to the Face: A Tribute to Karl Lachler
This coming Sunday, I begin a new message series at CCPChurch (Comunidade Cristã em Português), titled "The Mirror of Eternity: God's Glory Revealed Through the Word" in Psalm 119.
I will not step into the pulpit merely as an expositor, but as someone who has witnessed, since childhood, the real impact of living before that "Mirror." I grew up watching the friendship between my father, Antonio Mendes, and his mentor, Karl Lachler. To many, Karl was a brilliant theologian; to me, he was living proof that God's holiness is not an abstract concept, but a beauty that transforms character. The bond between them was not based on shared interests, but on an unwavering faithfulness to the Scriptures.
Karl Lachler's life was a living translation of what Psalm 119 calls "walking in integrity." More than a mentor or advisor, Karl was a spiritual foundation whose legacy is intertwined with the very essence of God's Word. For him, Scripture was not a set of cold rules, but the "Mirror of Eternity" — an honest instrument that, by reflecting our reality, points us to the face of Glory.
Karl understood that the mirror of the Law does not negotiate with reality. He lived by the conviction that holiness is the path to true happiness. While the world seeks satisfaction in fleeting circumstances, Karl taught that true joy is found in conformity to God's holy character, aligning the heart with creation's original purpose.
His walk was marked by the Cycle of Holiness. He understood that "treasuring the Word" in the heart was the only purifying agent capable of transforming the inner life and preparing a person to bear the weight of divine glory. His leadership did not come from personal authority, but from a deep dependence on Grace. Karl was the man who cried out, "Open my eyes!", recognizing himself as an eternal stranger in this land who needs divine revelation for every step.
For him, obedience was never legalism, but contemplation. Karl saw holiness as God's own beauty expressed in commandment form. By turning his eyes away from "worthless things," he found the strength needed to walk in the paths laid out by the Creator, daily tasting a "foretaste" of eternity.
"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face..." (1 Corinthians 13:12)
From today on, Karl Lachler no longer needs the reflection. The mirror that guided him for decades has given way to the full vision of the Face he loved and proclaimed so deeply. He has finally crossed from image into reality, dwelling in the light of the Glory that Psalm 119 helped him glimpse.
His DNA remains in my life through his legacy, which was one of the great motivations behind the creation of Lead by the Name, as shared on our website: www.leadbythename.org, through the conviction that leading by the name requires, first of all, submitting one's own name to the Lordship of Christ. Karl now beholds the "wonders of the Law" without the veil of time.
Rest and rejoice in the Glory of God that you longed to glimpse as you expounded the Word of God, but now live in it fully, good and faithful servant.
Eduardo Mendes