Shadow & Light

I remember spending weekends with my dad when I was a child.  On a bright sunny afternoon, we would most likely end up walking to a favorite fishing spot.  Along the way, crossing through a grassy field, my father’s shadow would skew longways across the ground, dwarfing mine in comparison.  

He would usually find a place along the waterline that would provide some shade.  A large tree or maybe a concrete overpass that allowed us to find some shelter from the sun.  And, as we cast our lines into the water, he would tell me to cast into the shaded areas, where it was cooler.  “The fish will be there” he would say.  Taking refuge from the sun, just as we were.

I remember gazing across the water, mesmerized by the beautiful way the shadows and the light played off one another.  Shadow falling into light, light giving way to shadow. 

The comparison between light and dark in our lives has long been a metaphor used throughout literature, art, philosophy, and religion.  Life itself is shadow and light.  It is good and bad.  The two opposite and opposing forces cannot exist without each other.  And certainly, cannot be appreciated without the other.

The trick, it seems, is finding the balance between the light and darkness of life. 

Sometimes I find myself seeking the shadows and avoiding the light.  Knowing what is best for me and yet heading toward the darkness instead.  Hiding from the sun and keeping my fears close to me.  We all have fears.  Many of which were developed to keep us safe and help us avoid pain.  Like all other humans, I try to avoid pain at all costs.  Even if it means staying stuck in the shadows of life.

However, it is only when I face my fears that I can shine a light on them.  Exposing them for what they are.  Imposters who tell me that I am not enough.  That I need to hide in the shadows rather than shine in the light.

It’s amazing to me how closely we tuck our fears inside of us.  How they become large and looming and out of control.  And yet, something we deem so dark and terrible can be reduced so quickly when brought to the light.  These fears, when revealed, are diminished in the light. 

Maybe you have heard these words;  “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”  These words were spoken about Christ coming into the world. 

But I also think it speaks to the fears that we hold so tightly within us.  For if we sit in the dark with fear long enough, we start to believe that there is no light.  That there is no hope of overcoming and that we cannot escape it.  Fear multiplies and grows in the shadows.  And the only thing it craves is more shadow.

But if we can take one step forward and trust in the love of God, we can expose these fears.  Once exposed, even by just one tiny sliver of light, they are reduced.  The smallest ray can dispel them.  Immediately and fully.  And once the light has pierced the dark, the darkness cannot overcome it.  Christ is the true light that shines into our lives and dispels our fears and gives us hope.