Reflections

There are many places in the bible, in which Christ used things other than direct verbiage to get his point across. We call them analogies or metaphors, but I think that God may call them reminders...

       Throughout the bible, metaphors are abundant. From Christ's of himself as the vine and Christians as the branches, to the great commission, in which we were made “fishers” of men. Christ used everyday things and situations to tell stories and to teach lessons. Why he did this is not as evident, but I have no doubt that every time the apostles saw a vine they remembered this lesson that they were taught.

 

       It seems to be very important for us to be able to remember what Christ taught us all, but sometimes it is so easy to forget. I have no doubt that this is the reason that Jesus used so many of these metaphors. With the most important of all being communion. Every Sunday we gather together and remember what Christ did for us on the cross. We take bread which represents his body and the juice that represents his blood. Now these are not his actual body and blood, but they still serve as powerful reminders of his sacrifice.

 

       Therefore, I feel that it is allowable for us to imagine that there may be many more reminders like these that Christ did not enlighten us to. Now these metaphors will certainly not save us, but what if they could help us? In my own Christian walk, I often find comfort in the fact that I know God is in all things, and all of his creation gives us a glimpse into his glorious nature. As I look at the trees I can easily imagine that they are reaching their branches to the heavens to praise God. After all, if you see a tree that is growing sideways out of a hill, it will curve itself so that it can reach for heaven. Now, a scientist will tell you that they reach for the light, but imagine now that you are the tree. What is it that we reach for? The answer is that the light that we need is Jesus. We yearn to be with Christ because, “All good things come from above, shining down from the father of lights.” Many times in the bible, this metaphor of light and darkness is used to explain the fight between good and evil. Now, extend this idea to the sun and a whole world of metaphors is opened to you.

 

       The most enlightening of these metaphors can be found in the moon. The moon reflects the light of the sun onto the dark earth, and are not Christians called to be lights shining for Jesus in a dark world? Extending this idea, when you look at the moon closely, you can see that it is full of craters and blemishes. This does not mean that the moon can not reflect the sun's rays, in fact the light seems to cover many of the imperfections in the moon. What does this mean for Christians? Our blemishes come from sin and it is up to us to repair them so that we can be a better reflection of Christ. Yet, when the light shines brightly we it is more difficult to see the blemishes on the moon's face. In the same way, Jesus covers so many of our blemishes, and makes us better then we could be without him.

 

       More than just the way that the moon reflects light, we can also find interesting things in the way that it orbits the planet. When we can see the moon most clearly, is when the sky around it is dark. How many times do Christians try to hide their light in the darkness? Perhaps it is unpopular to proclaim Jesus when we are away from church, but this is the part of the world that needs it the most. The moon, and a Christian, are both most effective when they are shining in the darkness.

 

       This leads to the question of what an ellipse could represent. The first type of eclipse comes when the moon blocks out the light of the sun. It is easy to see that many of us have done this in our Christian lives. We are afraid of the darkness, and we hide our light from the world. Not only do we hide our light, but we also block the light of Christ with our own actions. People know that we are Christians, but our behavior causes them to resent the idea of Christ.

 

       Yet it is not just Christians that can block the light of Jesus, but also the world. In another type of eclipse the world blocks all of the suns light from getting to the moon. The moon's light may be most effective when it is shining on the darkness, but if the earth is in the right place it can completely block the light of Christ from reaching the Christian.

 

       If you have ever awoken to a bright room, then you know how painful it can be for your eyes. In much the same way, sometimes the light of Christ can be too bright. Yet, the moon often has a soothing light to wake too. Though, the light that the moon reflects is the same light that the sun projects, it shines with a lower intensity. It easier to wake to this light and to be led too the sun slowly. This is our job as Christians, to reach the people in the darkness were they are, and to lead them to Christ.

 

       Finally what about the proximity of the moon to the earth, versus its proximity to the sun? It is sad to see how close the moon is to the earth, because it is an example of our long journey to grow closer to Christ. For you see, if you want to get closer to Christ, than you have to move farther away from the earth. Moreover, the gravity from the earth is the only force that has a great effect on the moon. The sun's pull on it is slight. That is why it is so hard for Christians to pull away from this world. There are so many things that pull us back.

 

       So, what kind of moon are you being? Do you have too many craters that are keeping Christ's light from shining brightly? Do you feel a little to close to this earth, and has it kept Christ's light from reaching you too many times? I hope that every time you look at the moon you will remember your place above this world. We are called to be reflections of the light of Jesus on this dark world, and it is up to us to shine as brightly as we can.

Reviews

[Scott Free]

Wow I loved this! So insightful, it made my mouth hang open. Why is it that I've never seen the moon that way?
I also loved the part about the trees, that had me reading on. It is so hard to capture someone's attention in an essay, I still don't know how you did it with me! You'll have to share some of your secrets with me sometime =)
I don't know if you're looking for any criticism, but if I had to say one thing i'd say that the beginning didn't catch my imagination. Maybe you could start out, in your very first sentence, with something like 'There are metaphors and parables all around us. The world is awash with them.' Or, I don't know, something of the sort.
Great read! Going in my favorites.

Scott

[Lauren Marie]

This was amazing!
I will be sharing this with a lot of people.
It was brilliant and insightful ... I've known that God is in His creation, but this took my beliefs to a new level.
Excellent!
This is a favorite!
~Lauren

[Shanna (Renae)]

Never thought about the sun and moon that way. Excellent job!

[Longing for Home]

Very well written. Very well said.

[C. C. Burl]

Wow. Wonderful essay, and very well written. Amazing metaphor as well. Flora.