Even in the Shadows

 

The sun has made its return to our little corner of the world, and with it came shadows once again. It is easy for shadows to go unnoticed until you have a long week of overcast skies which produce no shadows at all. To my eye, the return of shadows is as striking as the return of the bright light of the sun. They give depth and interest to even the mundane scene. Who knew that a parking lot could appear so interesting that a person would strive to capture the image?

Shadows make for great painting, for great poetry, for a greater understanding of the human psyche. In the Bible there is mention of the shadow of death, the shadow of the the Almighty, the absence of any shadow of turning with God who is always faithful to us in love and grace.

Lady Gaga writes, “If you don't have any shadows you're not in the light.” Walt Whitman said, “Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you.”

Every life has its shadow side, some more than others. But I find it helpful to remember that there are only shadows because we stand in the light. Down the road, we might even find ourselves saying that the shadows added some depth to the landscape of our journey; that in the shadow places we found meaning, faith, even love. God is with us, even in the shadows.

Peace.