The Land of Grace: casting shadows

Previous blogs in this series:
1-- Pits, Towers, Fields and Dancing
2-- ... Thoughts on Sheep
3-- Getting out of the Towers
4-- The Shadowlands :

This blog is going to be a harder one to write because as I've said, I'm still new here. I still haven't fully explored my way around the Land of Grace yet, but I want to write this blog before I start getting into the details of how one gets in and how one gets out.

So, I'll just tell you what I can see from here.

First off, the Land of Grace is bathed in bright light-- the prettiest kind of light you only see early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Even after the sun has set, the Land of Grace is blessed with a bright, full moon. Because of this bright light-- which I'm going to identify as Truth-- everyone has clearly cast shadows. Shadows symbolize our sin, our errors, our mistakes. In the Land of Grace, they're razor clear, outlined on the ground and everyone has them. As opposed to the Shadowlands, where shadows disappear because the whole world is darkened, people cannot hide their shadows in the Land of Grace.

And that's okay.

Because in the Land of Grace, you're always forgiven.

It's funny, because we ALL have shadows, but no one else likes admitting it. In the Shadowlands, people try to say that shadows don't exist at all, which is why everyone likes the dark so much-- no one can see the shadows, or if they can, they agree that the world is dark enough it doesn't much matter. In the Valley of the Towers, they admit that people make shadows, and they're quick to point out that people who DON'T live in the Towers cast LOOOONG shadows. So the Tower people try to avoid making shadows at all by never going outside. They stay in their rooms and follow the rules and say through clenched teeth, "I don't have a shadow at all because I am a good Tower person!" The problem is, they still DO have shadows in the Towers-- the fluorescent bulbs reveal the sneaky shadows made by the Tower people, as much as they try to deny having shadows at all.

So even though it's surprising that shadows would emerge in the starkest clarity in the Land of Grace, it makes sense in a way. The light exposes what's true: we cast shadows. We will for as long as we're on this planet.

But I love this place, because in the Land of Grace, people are over shame. By entering this land, we chose to step into the bright light, and what greets us? Jesus, sporting a great big grin and offering us a rope and set of carabiners. He knows we'll fall into a pit before we've even fallen into a pit, and He laughs a belly laugh and says, "Here! You'll need these later. Don't worry, I'll show you how to use them. WELCOME child! Look at how beautiful you are in this Truth Light!"

And He means that too-- He really thinks we look best that way.

Who else is there? A whole bunch of other people who have shadows. They're grinning too-- it's because we're all loopy over feeling so free and so loved. Our first goal is to make the new person feel okay about casting a shadow. So we burble over and try to reassure newbie: "Don't worry, it feels strange at first but see? We've all got 'em! No one will try to make you feel bad about that here, because we're all flaunting shadows darling! And He loves us anyway, isn't that grand? Haha! He LOVES us anyway! And we like each other an awful lot. We're all flecked and flawed and, ha! Forgiven! And loved!" I sort of picture this particular Grace-person as my favorite elementary school teacher, who's probably a stout old biddy by now. "Now try moving--" the Grace person instructs. "You feel lighter don't you? Once Truth hits, it DRAINS the heavy darkness right out! True, you've got some work to do to deal with the shape you cast-- oh, but the poison of that darkness is gone. You're LIGHT now-- you're free. You can run if you want! Try it-- run!"

It's still not a great thing to have shadows-- in the Land of Grace, part of the dance is learning how to shrink the darkness you cast. But still: the shadows have no weight in the Land of Grace. In the Shadowlands, maybe, the shadows swallow us and squeeze the Truth away. In the Towers, maybe, the fear of those shadows rises up on the walls in myriad ghoulish shapes, and haunts us with their horrifying potential.

But in the Land of Grace, they're on the ground where they should be. They're a trace of you; they don't define you. They don't determine you. They're simply there. And you know the coolest trick Jesus does? When you ask Him, He gets so big and so bright that not a single shadow remains where you stand. He makes the shadows disappear-- and He does that cool trick as often as you ask Him to.

I was going to write more about the Land of Grace but that's enough for now.