Shadows in a Cave

I recently discussed the use of shadows as a means to express the desire and longing of Christians for the fulfillment of all things. Christians find themselves in a tense position, with a foot in two worlds and an inclination to exclude one or the other.

Shadows and symbols are real things, but they both point to something greater. Plato used the concept of shadows in his story of the cave. For those unfamiliar with the story, Plato tells of a situation where men were raised without ever seeing something itself. Rather, they faced a wall in a cave, and they could only see the shadows cast upon the wall be objects. Thus, they came to believe that the shadows themselves were the objects. One of the prisoners escapes, and he sees the things themselves, realizing that this is reality and that the shadows only pointed to the things. I am not sorry for my disagreement with Kant, for I believe that things themselves can be known (not necessarily comprehensively, but known nonetheless).

This world is real, and Christians must not fail to engage with it. At the same time, this world is a shadow of the world to come.Therefore, the Chrstian should live her life here as if she is already in the world to come.