These all died in faith, having not received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar…” (Hebrews 11:13) Faithfulness is a bright light that shines in a dark world. There is always an element of encouragement and strength that we receive whenever we are around others who are walking in childlike faith in Christ. I think that is why Christmas has a way of bringing forth hope and love between us. We see the beautiful lights and decorations and realize that Jesus is the reason and source behind all the celebrations.
Christmas has a magical way of connecting the past with the present. Memories of loved ones and by-gone years rush into our minds with the force of a tidal wave. Out of nowhere they paint both pain and joy with the same brush stroke. From tears to laughter they toss us around, making the past the present, and reminding us that the present will soon be the past.
The famed English author and apologist, C.S. Lewis, spoke about how we live in ‘shadowlands.’ That is, all of life points us to something bigger and more permanent than what we experience here on earth. All the joys and celebrations of this life beckon us to consider their eternal source. In moments of ecstasy, heaven breaks forth to this side of time as it teases us with the eternal bliss and happiness that belongs to God’s kingdom.
I belief ‘faith’ does the same thing. Whenever we are around someone walking in faith, we get a taste of the majesty of heaven. This taste whets our palate to pursue more—more of the things that are important and eternal, more of the things that really matter like friendships and love, more of the things that shine forth from the kingdom of God.
As we read about the faith of Abraham, David, Peter and Paul, we find ourselves standing in the presence of their shadows. Their simple trust in the God of the Bible shines brighter and brighter as we grapple with the cares of this life and the call to live faithfully. Their walk convicts us and encourages us, shames us and strengthens us. And that is good! It is good because it challenges us to reach higher, to pray harder, and to love deeper.
I recently saw a photo of a side walk from Hiroshima, where a person’s shadow had been permanently etched into concrete from the atomic bomb in 1945. Only the shadow remained, though the person was vaporized by the explosion. We are all leaving shadows for those who live after us. We will leave either shadows of doubt, skepticism and pride, or shadows of faith, humility and love. Our children, grandchildren and friends will be strengthened by our life, or weakened by our selfishness. What shadow are you leaving behind? Through surrender to Christ and His love, we can all leave a good shadow, a long shadow… a Holy Shadow!
