My children never let me get away with shading the truth of a situation. They will challenge me if I err even a hair from the plumb line of speaking the truth in love. More than once in the past year my son, Jonathan, has told me that I’m not encouraging enough, that I focus on what hasn’t gotten done (read Chemistry) instead of everything he has accomplished. Ouch, the truth hurts. I have been unfairly focused on the negative which never tells the whole truth.
During a family vacation a few years back we found The Magic House a fun family experience in St Louis. Each room of the house revealed a new theme with hands on activities. One of the most memorable experiences was the shadow room. We walked into an empty, darkened room where every five seconds a pulse of light would burst leaving human shadow impressions on a light sensitive wall. It only took seconds before the whole family was jumping and twisting in order to make odd shape outlines appear. We were able to create strange designs by manipulating the shadows. Although we were focused on the shadows, it was truly the light that created the outlines by a bright pulse while captured light displayed the shapes on the glowing wall.
In thinking about shadow and light I asked Jonathan, who enjoys art, about his sketches, “What do you think about when you are filling in shadow?” He said, “I think about where the light isn’t… Well first I think of where the light is, where it touches the object and then I shade where the light isn’t.” There is a sermon in those words.
Even the sharpest shadow doesn’t begin to express the essence of what truly exists in the light. Shadows invariably distort even the shape of what is. When our minds begin to focus on a negative perspective- on doubts, on fears, on sin, on what hasn’t been accomplished- we are fumbling about in the shadows and our perspective becomes distorted. Shadows never tell the truth.
Church planting begins with a vision of what God can do when light shines into darkness. The shadows of discouragement and difficulties pull our attention towards what is missing or distorted and away from the one who is our Light. Speaking the truth in love refocuses our hearts, letting us see by the light of truth.
[...] My wife, Joye, posted a new item on her blog this week about our children and a vacation trip we made to the Magic House in St. Louis. It delves into the issues of truth and shadow in life. Check it out here. [...]