Reflecting in the Shadows

As the bright sunlight shown through the branches of this huge old tree, it seemed to me as if the pattern cast by the shadows of the limbs turned the lawn into a huge stained glass window, all in green. For a moment I felt as though I stood silent in a great outdoor cathedral.

This led me to ponder how it was the shadows that created this image. Without the tree, the lawn would still be green, but unnoticed. The sun would still be shining as bright, but so much would be lost without the shadows.

That is the purpose of our worship experiences and reflections during Holy Week. Between Palm Sunday and Easter we take some time to live in the shadows. The shadow of the threat from religious authorities who oppose the teachings of Jesus. The shadow of time running out with the disciples still not understanding. The shadow of betrayal. The shadow of denial. The shadow of a cross.

We cannot see Easter in all its beauty without the shadows bringing into focus the love that guided Jesus through the gates of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, through the Passover meal, through the anguished prayer in the garden, through his suffering and death. These shadows highlight the glorious colors of the resurrection.

Let us spend some time reflecting in the shadows this week as we move toward Easter. We can trust that the shadows will give shape to the light of our hope. As the psalmist writes, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Peace.