September 11, 2005
Theology
Journal #1
The shadows that we encounter in our lives must be recognized and we must move away from the shadows into the light in order to understand reality. Like Plato’s allegory of the cave, we too must be able to understand our reality and come into the light and realize that the shadows are not reality. We can be chained to our shadows like the prisoners in the cave and then even when we have the ability to move into the light, the shadows are all we know so we don’t. Like the stories of Eric Clapton and Deon Sanders, we must move into the light and embrace the reality, even though it might be painful for us.
1) We must recognize the shadows around us. In order for any progress we must see that the shadows, that we create, that cloud our sense of reality, are not reality and they hold us in chains.
2)”The unexamined life is not worth living.”- Socrates. In life you have to question our surroundings in order to understand our lives and reality. If life is not questioned we will never know what truth is.
3)Metanoia. Metanoia is a change of heart and mind, the way in which we think and feel, away from selfishness, ignorance, and sin and towards love, truth, and grace.
What are the shadows in my life and how can I move away from the shadows?
To become a better person I should be able to recognize the shadows in my life. I should not raitionalize my decisions or make excues. I shoud admit that my shadows exist and try to overcome them.