Shadow's Shadow

A shadow has no shadow. Physics says that light is necessary to create a shadow—something to do with light blocked by a solid object. Shadow isn’t light and shadow isn’t solid. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” He also said, “worship in spirit and truth.” Behind the word “truth” lies the sense of reality. He might have said, “I am…the Reality….” Or “….shall worship in reality.” We humans think of this world as real; the world of spirits as being less so. We cannot touch, taste smell, measure that other world; that other reality which is beyond ours. Pilate asked, as he turned his back on Jesus, “What is truth?-what is reality?” Though we cannot touch, taste feel, measure even comprehend the world of spirit, the world of God who is Spirit, it is a reality beyond our limited three dimensions of height, depth and width. A being from that world, that reality, can step into and out of ours in a way which seems magical to us. It must be fun befuddling our senses to these beings to whom dimension is such an elementary thing; a grown up playing hide and seek with a three year old. In spite of the limitations of our senses and of our dimensions, there is something about our reality which reflects or maybe better for my purposes, a shadow of the reality beyond our comprehension. I would contend that a flower’s beauty says something about He Who spoke it into existence. All of nature speaks in hushed but eloquent words of her Creator. Human relationships are a magnitude\de higher in that elegant allegory of love which bespeaks His love for us. At whatever level, in whatever realm all speaks of Him. But, you object, “ What of evil?” “How can this speak of Him who is only good?” I answer, “It too speaks of Him, for are not all things of Him, through Him and to Him (Rom 11:36)?” “Explain yourself!” is your just demand. If our reality is a shadow of the real reality of that other realm, that true reality, is not evil a shadow of those good things that reflect Him? Is not all evil a parody, a mimicking of something good? Is not theft a shadowy shadow of the reward of work? Is not adultery, a faint negative of the good love that reflects His love? Evil is not the opposite of God. There is no opposite of Him. If there were an opposite, then it would be equal in some way. We would have a Zoroastrian conflict of a good and evil God contending for supremacy. As shadow is only an absence of light; Darkness cannot put out light; it is merely its absence. Evil is but a parody, a dim shadow of the shadows of good. Even it is to His glory, revealing a lack, an absence of that which is good; of He who is good. We cringe at evil, rail against it in others, fight it,. But it is an empty nothing and even that void reveals the outline of the bright light who is only Good. A shadow’s shadow; empty, powerless, defeated. Turning our eyes on Jesus, looking full in His wonderful face, the things of earth do grow strangely dim; the things of heaven do grow wondrous bright in the light of His glory and grace. Even in our most defeated evil acts, we reveal something about Him to ourselves, to others. The worst of all mankind, at some level in some way, makes His glory brighter, His love more evident. The mightiest railer against truth and Truth is singing a hymn of praise, unwillingly, unknowingly. Someday, some way, we will see all for what it truly is; we will know as we are known; see as we are seen and truly worship in spirit and in reality Him who is the real reality.