Defining “Shadows”

There are many meanings for the word shadow, but Merriam-Webster’s definitions are well-suited for this discussion: “an inseparable companion or follower; an imperfect and faint representation; and an imitation of something.” In other words, a shadow is not the “real thing.” It is a representation of something, and that representation is usually void of accuracy. What do I mean by that?

If you are walking around on a sunshiny day, it is not unusual to see a shadow trailing closely behind. Even though the shadow mimics everything your body does, human intelligence tells you the shadow is not you; it is simply an image of your physical structure. Questions to drive home this point could be “Can the shadow talk without your mental capacities? Could it survive without your presence? Is it really flesh and blood? The answer to all of these questions is No!

Defining Righteousness

Righteousness is obeying the laws of God–doing unto others what you wish done to you, observing the Beatitudes, following The Ten Commandments and loving everyone as yourself. Examples: If you do not want someone to kill your dog, do not kill their cat. Do not steal a car if you would be upset if a person steals yours, or would you like if you could not buy a house in a certain neighborhood because you were white? Think about these, try to place yourself in each situation and see how you would feel. How do you “stack-up” in relation to these laws and examples?

Righteousness is not a pretense, it’s a reality. A person or thing is either right or wrong. There is nothing in between. Humanity pretends, divinity assures.

Standing in the Shadow of Righteousness

Now that it is clear what this article means when it speaks of shadows and righteousness, let’s address the meaning of the entire phrase. What does a person do when he stands in the shadows of righteousness? This writer believes it is not sufficient to just be a shadow of righteousness, but actually think, say and act righteously! Examples of shadows of righteousness could be speaking the Word of God but not practicing it or going to church three (3) times a week and satisfying oneself he is serving God.

I grew up in the church, sought to serve God but was afraid of Him. My vision of God was superhuman–a God whose tendencies paralleled mankind. If you did something God did not like, He would punish you. Years of seeking a better understanding have led to the realization that God does not punish, man suffers because he separates himself from God by sinning. God is not man-made, man is God-made and this God-made man is spiritual, not physical; divine not human.

Spirit is another name for God. Therefore, if God is Spirit and man is made in his “image and likeness,” man has to be spiritual. Not only is man the image of God, but he is also like God. The spiritual man is not God, but expresses God, has a mind like God and does the things of God. If God is Truth, the spiritual man speaks and lives truth. If God is Love, man loves unconditionally because he is Godlike.

Jesus demonstrated the qualities of God better that anyone who walked the face of the earth, yet he never claimed to be God. He said he was the “Son of God.” Serving God is not easy. It means casting out all illusions and shadows of perfection and demonstrating true perfection–living above sin, sickness and death. Words like hate, revenge, anger, superiority and inferiority never enter into the likeness of God. These are human frailties that must be conquered.

Most humans will never reach perfection in this world, but those who understand what is real and unreal can begin the journey. Ignorance is not bliss. Therefore, it is essential to break away from truth according to the five (5) physical senses, and unite with Soul, God. Only then, will one learn to be governed by spiritual sense. How do we begin the journey? Read the Scriptures daily, ponder the meaning and strive to demonstrate it.

Physical Senses Versus Soul Senses

Humanity says physicality refers to the human body and the physical senses define how this body sees, hears, feels, smells and tastes. At an early age, children learn the eyes see, ears hear, hands and other parts of the body touch, noses smell and mouths taste. Consequently, the physical senses readily relate to how all of these operate in the human experience. If someone says a person is blind, we picture his eyes not seeing things; deaf means he cannot hear; blocked nasal passages mean he cannot smell and so on. Rising above images of physicality is a daunting process for the human mind, but to reach the senses of Soul (another name for God), the spiritual person must do so.

Soul’s Senses

The senses of Soul have nothing to do with the five (5) physical senses. How many of you have seen God with your physical eyes? Answer: No one. Seeing God is a mental process–a process that reaches outside of the human mind and connects with divine Mind. Elevate your thought and connect with a Being that is always good, righteous, holy, pure and loves unconditionally. Do not place a human form to this Being, only see him/Her with these words.

Mentally hear a being that is Truth–a Truth that is perfection, harmonious, wise, lawful and gracious. Picture a time when you were about to commit a wrongful act, and a thought said, “Don’t do that!” Whether you listened or not, Truth was speaking to you. You heard it mentally but may have ignored it.

Another example: What about the time you had a strong feeling about something, and you listened and was obedient to that feeling? Later, you learned if you had not been obedient, a terrible thing would have happened. That strong feeling is how God touches our lives.

Soul’s senses are always present, powerful and good. We have to learn how to become aware of them. What do you know? Awareness is an attribute of God, Soul. This awareness teaches us to discover what is meant by “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We also learn who and what it means to be a neighbor.

If you are only standing in the shadow of righteousness, you will not discover the answer to the question above. However, you will know your neighbor if you are standing in righteousness. Such a phrase implies “no movement.” It says, “I do not care what happens, I am going to cling to righteousness.” However, since we live among others, it is essential to define our neighbor. A neighbor can be next door or in another country, the answer is the same. . . “love thy neighbor as thyself,” because simplistically, a neighbor is a child of God. Connect with other answers here.

As we continue the journey of demonstrating righteousness, let’s erase the shadows and mentally touch the real thing–the man made in the image and likeness of God.