I did my morning exercising a little earlier today. Looking out the windows of the sun room I was treated to a remarkably beautiful scene of sun and shadows. The stark demarcation between sun bathing the neighbors house and lawn accentuated the contrast between the sun and shadows in a way that underlined the differences. In a sense it could be related to the metaphorical sun and shadows of our lives and existence.
Without the shadows I think we would not fully appreciate the good things that come to us. Going through the shadow times of difficulties and then breaking through to the better times can make us fully appreciative of the wonders of the world and our existence.
My wife, an ordained pastor in her retirement continues to preach in a couple of churches in the area on a regular basis. Today's sermon was titled Rejection. Bear with me now. I want to tie the sermon message to the contrast between sun and shadow. The gist of her sermon was to demonstrate that beyond rejection by family or society or circumstances there is redemption. One can come out these setbacks and find gratifying acceptance of ones self, and for the faithful the bright light of God's love will bring contentment and hope to their lives.
Beyond the thoughts above, I am reminded of the experiences on the ski slopes on a sunny day when there are a sharp contrasts between the brightly lit snow and the shadows and shapes among the trees. The patterns of shadows are things of beauty in their own right. It often inspires me to meditate on the incredible complexity of the evolution of the earth.