Shadows and Suffering

Robert Irwin is an artist who incorporates the tension between light and shadows in his works. One of his works in currently on display at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. It is a white translucent hemisphere of plastic extended from a white wall with lights beaming on it. The thing that struck me is that the shadows define the piece. While the light is the primary focus, you would not see the piece at all if the shadows weren't there.

Suffering is like those shadows. Somehow the hard times, the sadness, and the sorrows of life can lead us to a deeper understanding of ourselves, our world and our God. Suffering provides the shadows that define the light, the goodness and the hope that give our lives dimension and meaning. Without those shadows we would be flat, shallow people.

That is not to say we should wish for suffering or to allow ourselves to be bogged down in it. But with the help of God, we should embrace it, learn from it and allow the experience to bring forth the Light that is within us.