Shadow of the Cross

This past Sunday morning, during the worship gathering in my home church, the worship planners had a graphic slide which really caught my attention. I tend to be a visual person and appreciate the thoughtful preparation those involved in the weekly planning of our worship experiences invest into each week's service by providing thoughtful visual content.

The slide catching my attention this week was the shadow of a cross being cast onto a polished stone wall (maybe marble). It was the kind of stone wall I've seen at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles (one of my favorite places to go in the L.A. area). Polished but yet still having character, rough spots and crevices throughout, the stone has its own unique character. The stone and its finishing is truly a work of art in itself.

What really grabbed my attention in this moment though was not the stone, however beautiful in appearance, but the figure of the cross. I've heard the phrase the "shadow of the cross" of many years. In fact, I have used the phrase both in written and sermonic content and have utilized those words in my prayer life on countless occasions. But something struck with profound newness for me during worship... "What shadow do I cast?"

I've always taken the phrase to mean "living in the shadow of the cross of Jesus." By doing such, I am reminded of the atoning sacrifice of my Lord and the price that was paid for my straying heart. I've thought of it as a shield from the wrath of the Creator and a comfort and cooling protection from the scorch of the tempters flaming arrows. I'd never thought of it in terms of the shadow I cast before this moment.

Perhaps it was the angle of the photo? Maybe it was the use of light that caught my eye? Or, more likely, it was God calling me to reconsider a piece of my life that needs the attention of "Calvary's tree." What shadow am I casting?

If we "walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another" (1 John 1:7). Fellowship with God is more than mere affiliation. It has a necessary element of reflection as well. Walking in the light of Christ will necessarily cast some shadow. I can't help but think of the occasion recorded in Acts 5:15 when people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.

That, at least in my mind, is so pretty powerful "shadow casting!" Since Sunday morning I've been meditating, praying and wondering what kind of a shadow I'm casting. I'm asking God to reveal to me more of what other people see and I'm wondering if it looks "cross-like."

What does your shadow look like?