ONLY A SHADOW
Greetings friends,
For some time now, God has been impressing upon me the reality that everything we see and experience in this life is but a reflection, or shadow, of the unseen eternal realms of light and darkness. This makes sense when you see that everything we can touch casts a shadow when light is directed upon it. When you see a shadow, you instinctively understand that there is something to which that shadow points. The shadow is not the object itself, but merely proves that the object exists. I believe God purposed it this way so that we would not be so caught up in the temporal things which we can see that we forget about the spiritual realities of the heavenly realms, which are the things unseen. Since the creation of the world, God has ordained many things in the temporal that are meant to point us to His eternal purposes. Think back to when you were a child. Remember how easy it was to imagine great things and dream big dreams? Remember how easy it was to forget about yesterday and have hope for a better tomorrow? It was so easy to trust; to hope. We dreamed of being so beautiful, like the princess that captured the heart of the noble man. We dreamed of being brave and strong, like the knight who narrowly escapes death, vanquishes his foes, and rescues the beautiful lady, or the helpless, or what have you. Eventually, as the years came and went, we either held on to those dreams or rejected them in light of how we interpreted reality and the circumstances in our lives. What we must understand is that these dreams and desires we had (whatever they were) are really shadows pointing to a spiritual reality: Who we are meant to be; How God uniquely formed each of us to manifest His glory in a unique way.
I have a niece named Audrey. She is 6 years old and just about the most adorable little girl I've ever known. This past Thanksgiving, she and I were playing along with her younger brother Jackson in my parents living room when she suggested we partake in a little imagination. I'd have to admit I was not at all prepared for what I was about to get into. She wanted us to pretend that she was Princess Jasmine, that Jackson was her husband Aladdin, and that I was the genie. Ok, I agree that is really not that difficult, relatively speaking. It actually pales in comparison to a previous instance where Audrey suggested that I be her husband and Jackson our son. Unfortunately, I'm not as excited as I think I ought to be at this prospect. I tend to think most normal people would be delighted to partake in a little imagination fun with their niece or nephew and would have no trouble at all entering into the make believe world with them. I, on the other hand, tend to internalize such things as I do with pretty much any real circumstance I face. Instead of being excited about this pleasant fiction, I'm thinking to myself, "This is SO wrong on SO many levels". Thus, I have trouble entering into this make believe world and end up disappointing Audrey. The reason for this is not because I have never allowed myself to imagine or pretend when I was younger. On the contrary, I was quite experienced in it. I spent many an afternoon in the woods surrounding my house battling it out with fire-breathing dragons and bands of evil men bent on hurting the weak and the poor. I never entered those woods, much less left the front door, without my trusty twin swords sheathed at my side (not real swords of course, but portions of limbs from a birch or oak cut down to size and widdled to a fine edge). The reason I have trouble now is because I have stopped focusing on the shadows of things to come and have become focused on the reality those shadows pointed to. It is because God came to me fairly early on in my life and captured my heart and soul with a cause that transcends my life and time itself. In one night, heaven came down and its glory filled my heart. In a short time afterwards, I became aware that the reason I dreamed as a young boy to be a defender and protector is because that is exactly what my purpose is now that I am in His kingdom and His kingdom is in me. Now, though it is somewhat hard for me to enter into the imagination of a child, I instantly understand that what Audrey is really doing is inviting me to hope with her for the day when she is truly known by someone, when others recognize and celebrate the beauty that is in her. Understanding that this is but a shadow of the desire that God has placed in her heart, a desire to know Him and be known by Him, to be pursued by Him and truly loved by Him, what I can do is somehow guide her from the mere shadow to the reality that it points to. That's sometimes easier said than done but it is something we can all do. Those dreams and desires we have as children are only shadows of something else, something greater. The dreams themselves are evidence enough that God has an inheritance in store for each of us, and that if we would continue to hope and believe as a child and not give up on or kill our desires and dreams when the world comes against us, we will surely receive that inheritance.
We must also understand that life itself is only a shadow of something greater, of something REAL. Now, I certainly don't mean that this life is fake or fiction or just a figment of our imaginations. What I mean is that in this life, we see with eyes that are veiled. "Though now we see as through a glass darkly....", as the Apostle Paul puts it.
Colossians 2:16-17: Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
Hebrews 8:5: They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
Hebrews 10:1: The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
I am amazed at how patient God is in dealing with a people who can't see the sun for the daylight, who can't see the forest for the trees, who can't see the breath for the wind. We just don't get it most of the time. The people just didn't get it when Jesus was talking about higher realities, especially when he was talking about himself. He says to the pharisees, "Tear this temple down, and I will rebuild it in three days." They replied, "How can you rebuild it in three days? It has taken decades and decades to build." They just didn't get that Jesus was referring to himself when he said the temple. They failed to realize that the earthly physical temple was just a shadow pointing to the reality that God, through the new covenant in Jesus' blood, was truly making his dwelling place among man and man is now the temple. So when you are sitting down to eat a meal, or when you are leaving your house for work as you usually do, or sitting in the living room watching tv again, or whatever, understand that there is a larger story going on than just a story about you or I. We are simply derivative. There is a fountain from which we flow so to speak. So wherever you are and whatever you are doing, imagine if you will entering that larger story. What part do you believe you are to play in that story? What would that look like? Here's some ideas: remind someone about what their name means. Ask someone if God has given them a vision of something great. Ask yourself, If you could spend eternity doing something, what would it be?
Finally, we must understand that death is only a shadow. Even though our bodies may perish, it points to how the perishable puts on the imperishable. It is no wonder then that in the face of our own mortality, we suddenly begin to truly live. When we come to the realization that our days are numbered and ordered by God, we suddenly loose concern for and fear of death. We suddenly begin to hold life in such higher regards. This isn't just a mere psychological mechanism. Once again, the question is posed. Will we remain stuck in our own little stories and fantacizing over other people's stories? Or will we peel back the veils over our eyes to glimpse things unseen? Will we choose to remain entrapped here in the valley of the shadow of death, bound to a fool's destiny of "flying by the seat of our pants" as one just barely surviving the flames? Or will we choose rather to live in the larger story; not just as spectators of the world's end as the trumpets sound and the heavenly kingdom arrives; but as a people of destiny, WHO ARE NOW AS WE WILL BE - seated with Christ in the heavenly realms -, who will rule and reign with Christ, who have the name of our God and of the city of our God written on our foreheads.
Jesus said these words to his disciples:
"Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal."
You see then, God uses the death of something to bring the kind of life that is true and fruitful, producing more life. Death then is only a shadow that points to what is to come. I used to be concerned with death. Then, figuratively speaking, I died and I considered myself as good as dead. Then true life entered my mortal flesh, life that renews itself, life that brings forth more of itself. Thus, the shadow of death was removed and the veil torn assunder.
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined. Matthew 4:16
What I am saying is this: before I died, my body consisted of death and darkness and death cast a shadow upon me so that there was no light in me. But when I died and the life which is the light of every man entered my body, death was swallowed up in light so that it no longer casts its shadow on me. This is exactly what it is like in the heavenly realm. In heaven, there are no shadows. We will no longer cast shadows in the presents of light because we ourselves will consist of the light which fills everything. There is no need for shadows to point to the things which will come because they already are. In the unseen realm, you already are what you will be.
So this is my conclusion. Though for a time we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, let us not live as those who chase after shadows. Shadows do point us to those things which are unseen and for a little while we must look upon them. Only do not fix your eyes upon them as one who hopes in them. For in just a little while, the darkness will vanish, and the shadows will fade away down to the depths. The thick veil which looms overhead will be torn from horizon to horizon and we shall see the great city of God coming in all its glory. In this you shall hope and persevere with all the strength He has given you. I love you all. Thanks for reading.
Love and honor,
Jared
