Shadows and Healing
Coming out of healing work with many wonderful people at the Wild Goose festival and my own healing work for myself lately, I’ve been thinking alot about shadow work. “Shadow work” is sometimes how people refer to looking inward at hidden parts of yourself and/or aspects of your life. It’s a type of spiritual work that seeks to look beneath your apparent and conscious mind at what we may call the “subconscious.” It can be difficult and unpleasant but it can also offer opportunity for deep and transforming healing, empowerment, and renewal.
Jesus’ teaching in the sermon on the mount could be considered an invitation to this. “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5 NRSV)
At first glance Jesus could be coming off pretty harsh here but let’s consider this together. First consider the situation in the teaching here. 2 people have things in their eyes. If you’ve ever had something in your eye, you know it can be very painful. The teaching begins with Jesus questioning why someone with a plank in their eye would be doing anything other than dealing with the plank in their eye. This is not a condemnation but an invitation to healing, love, and self care. Second, the call to remove the plank from our own eye is framed as empowering. This enables you to see clearly to help your neighbor. So, while Jesus invites us to remove the plank for our own sake, he also quickly points out that the world needs you to be able to see clearly to participate in an other’s healing.
In some healing work I was doing for myself recently I observed first hand the desire to avoid it. Just as I was setting out to go into prayer and meditation I found myself, without thinking, start a silly and not particularly useful household task. Part of me wanted to avoid what was coming up for me. Looking underneath that, there were parts of me that were deeply afraid of what was about to be confronted. It would have been much easier to stay away from this. To stay away from the wounds and patterns that were blocking my continued growth and flourishing.
This healing journey was difficult. It required me to confront deep fears and look at things I didn’t want to look at through pain and tears. However, on the other side of this healing journey was a greater sense of clarity, compassion, and trust in being held and supported by Love and Spirit. In the end I was glad I did it and grateful for the beginning and continuation of that healing within me.
If you find yourself needing to confront difficult things or ask tough questions it may be helpful to remember that it is for your ultimate healing, peace, reconciliation, empowerment, and flourishing. You may find it helpful to question your fears and ask what you might really be afraid of. If you do this, you will almost certainly find it helpful to share this in community with a trusted partner, friend, or spiritual advisor. If you wish to share your experiences with me, please send me an email. I would love to offer prayer and support to you on your journey.
Thank you for reading, peace and blessings for your continued growth and flourishing.
Amen.
