In church yesterday we read from Proverbs 9. In this text it makes reference to a woman who is the foil to woman wisdom. While woman wisdom (Sophia) builds her house on 7 pillars, this other woman does not. While Sophia feeds wine she mixed, her counter part gives only stolen wine. Sophia's home is where life can be nourished, while this other woman's home is in the shadows and the occupants are in Sheol.
Later in the worship, we sang a song which expressed the comfort that comes in being in the shadow of the wings of God.
Two different references taking two different interpretations of the same motif - Shadow.
So the question moving through my mind is, Do I avoid or run to the shadows?
I am not a St. John of the Cross scholar, but as I recall, St. John of the Cross writes of God being in the shadows. That is only in the shadows, as awful as they can be sometime, God is there.
We "know this". We hear this in Sunday school when we are kids. But it still is amazing to me how often I avoid the shadows of life. If I am avoiding the shadows, am I also avoiding God?
I mean isn't the point of being "in the shadow of God's wing" meant to imply a closeness or nearness to God?
Perhaps it is by being in the shadows we are close to God? Perhaps being in the shadow of God is to be near to God. But isn't God often found in the dark places of life?
So I am brought back to the paradox of being in close enough to be in God's shadow also means I am intentionally moving toward the shadows of life. For there I will find God. Metaphor
Later in the worship, we sang a song which expressed the comfort that comes in being in the shadow of the wings of God.
Two different references taking two different interpretations of the same motif - Shadow.
So the question moving through my mind is, Do I avoid or run to the shadows?
I am not a St. John of the Cross scholar, but as I recall, St. John of the Cross writes of God being in the shadows. That is only in the shadows, as awful as they can be sometime, God is there.
We "know this". We hear this in Sunday school when we are kids. But it still is amazing to me how often I avoid the shadows of life. If I am avoiding the shadows, am I also avoiding God?
I mean isn't the point of being "in the shadow of God's wing" meant to imply a closeness or nearness to God?
Perhaps it is by being in the shadows we are close to God? Perhaps being in the shadow of God is to be near to God. But isn't God often found in the dark places of life?
So I am brought back to the paradox of being in close enough to be in God's shadow also means I am intentionally moving toward the shadows of life. For there I will find God. Metaphor