Me and My Shadow
Submitted by theshovel
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PDF versionI don't notice it much anymore, but at one point in my life my shadow fascinated me. It captured my attention, because it moved when I moved and followed me everywhere I went. Though it disappeared for a while it always managed to return. Certain shapes became distinctly recognizable, while others mystified me by their random vagueness or shifting projection. Slowly, I made the connection, even learning how to control my shadow by manipulating its form and causing it to appear as something altogether different.
Why am I not preoccupied with my shadow anymore, or why does it not capture my attention as it once did? Simply because I now understand its relationship with the substance from which it is projected. That substance would be ME - that is, my body.
I didn't have to focus any attention on why I shouldn't focus on my shadow, I just stopped paying attention to it because its appearance no longer mystified me. I didn't even have to seek out any Shadow-Withdrawal support groups to help me make the transition. Why not? Because my cognizance of the reality removed any sense that the shadow ever had any true substance of its own to begin with.
Consider something with me here. What can my shadow reveal about who I truly am? If you were to follow me around and make observations based on my various shadowy shapes you might one moment see me as a monster, the next as a super-hero, or even as a mystical apparition. No, there is only one true revelation made by the presence of my shadow: it demands that I am there.
Even though many true things may be attributed to me based upon the appearance of my shadow, just as many false representations may be as well. One may see greatness, while another sees failure, or even contradiction. But those who see me by looking at me and not by looking at my shadow are the ones who truly see me. You see, once the connection has been made between substance and shadow the projection is understood to conform to the reality - and not the other way around.
Consider the first rabbit shadow you ever saw as a child. Do you think you actually figured out right away that someone's hand caused it? I don't think so. Chances are that you were convinced it really was a rabbit. But once you understood the connection you came to realize that the rabbit shadow had no rabbit in it - that was merely a perception based on a projection. When you know what you're looking at because you've seen the actual hand that makes the shadow you're no longer confused by the shadow. The fact is that you can now even see the hand in that shadow ... even though you really can't see it in the projection.
What if we were to understand that the things found in the Law were merely projections of a true substance that could not be truly seen apart from seeing the reality itself? What if we discovered that we have been fascinated by shadows of rabbits because the religious world around us keeps insisting on their genuine rabbit-ness? You know, we might also discover that the writers of those NT letters were making connections between shadow and reality in order to make known how far superior the reality was to a shadow.
Still more to come ...
Comments
the mystery of rabbit-shadow solved ... :)
Re: Me and My Shadow
Posted: February 24, 2002 by Anonymous
you cwazy rabit.
Posted: February 24, 2002 by Joyce
I'm really finding the "shadow series" very interesting. The thought occurred to me with your example of the "rabbit shadow" and how that the substance of the shadow wasn't even a rabbit. Made me wonder if there are "laws" then that aren't even true shadows after the substance of Christ, but just contortions of man"s doing.
Posted: February 24, 2002 by the shovel
Joyce,
I just LOVE witnessing reactions like this!! Consider what Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees about their teaching of the "traditions of men" in place of God's laws. :)
Jim
Posted: February 24, 2002 by Debbie
Oh Jim, I just loved this dig from the shovel. It has my mind a thinking!
Just an added thought.......I came to see the law as the negative of Christ. Sort of like the negative of a picture. This is how my mind was thinking........The law says, "Thou shalt not lie." Christ says, "I am the Truth." The law says......."Thou shalt not commit adultery." Christ says, "Faithful is my name." Do you see what I am saying? The law says the negative, but I can see it pointing to the positive reality of Christ.
Keep up the those thought provoking digs!
Posted: February 24, 2002 by HumblyHis2
Jim great shadow series. This is really causing me to think. My thoughts are that the law was given to show us that God is righteous, and holy, and that he requires holiness. But, the law was given to show us that we could not fully obey all of the law, for if at one point we break it, we have broken it all. So the law was made to point us to Christ, who came to fulfill the law! For he was tempted in everyway as a man, yet he did not sin! What was impossible for man, has been made possible through Christ!
Posted: February 24, 2002 by Adam
i think the US that Paul referred to in his writtings regarding the law pointing US to Christ was not US it was THEM...THEM being JEWS who were given the law!!!!!!They werent even sopposed to be able to truly carry it out to eternal life.
Posted: February 24, 2002 by Dan
I think of all the shadows of the old testament laws and ordnances was just showing us of the awesome love the Lord was going to reveal threw His Son Jesus Christ the real and Living word.Love
Posted: February 24, 2002 by SerenDebity
Hi ! This was the very first letter I have read...I enjoyed it IMMENSELY !!
Read All the other stuff...Loved it!
Hey...did you like the Beatles?!!! Awesome ! LOL!!
Ok...you seem to really have a grasp on pulling something out of obscurity...I like that...because my mind seems befuddled often when I try to contemplate the Truth...but I keep pressing on !! I believe God led me to this link...so I will be a frequent, permanent guest !!!
God Bless !!!
Posted: February 24, 2002 by Joyce
I know it was some days ago when we got the topic of the shadow, but I have still been reading and thinking about it. One of the things that stands out to me is where Jim says, "Even though many true things may be attributed to me based upon the appearance of my shadow, just as many false representations may be as well....even contradiction." It made me think about the seeming "contradictions" in the Bible that we can weary ourselves over and even fight about. Maybe all of that goes on because what is being argued are merely shadows, and therefore can take on a distorted look depending on our varying angles of viewing them. Thinking this might be true can be helpful to someone like me, who tends to think I have to be able to give an answer to these conflicts. The answers now seem to me to be more in seeking to see it all through the reality of Christ.
The other thought mentioned too was that once the projection of the shadow is seen to be only the shadow of what is right there and real, then we will obviously line up our thoughts about the shadow to have it conform to the reality, and not the other way around. What if though, the law is not "seen" as the shadow or even more importantly, that Christ himself is not "seen" as the connection of reality to the shadow. Applying this then to 'Christ and the Law' makes me wonder how much of what is envisioned to be, and made into doctrines in the Christian arena, is really a conforming of Christ to the law, rather than the other way around.
Posted: February 24, 2002 by Sherri
"I didn't even have to seek out any Shadow Withdrawal support groups to help me make the transition."
You are such a funny guy, aren't cha? ; )
"Why not? Because my cognizance of the reality removed any sense that the shadow ever had any true substance of its own to begin with."
"Cognizance of Reality" "¦ hey! I like that! Sounds like a good title for a book, movie, song, article "¦ : ) We can and do praise GOD for the Spirit Who gives us the ‘cognizance of Reality' concerning our New Reality "¦ the miracle of who we are in Him "¦ because of Him. : ) I thank you for YOUR help in supporting and encouraging us in the Spirit's work concerning our ‘cognizance of Reality'!! : )
"What if we discovered that we have been fascinated by shadows of rabbits because the religious world around us keeps insisting on their genuine rabbit-ness?"
"Genuine Rabbit-ness"!! HA! : ) Another good title!!
You should get a copy-right on these titles, I tell ya!! : )
Again, you are just so fun-n-n-n-y!! : ) The operative word, of course, being FUN!! : )
Love your responses everyone!! : )
Thanx!!
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