Seeing Our Shadow

It’s Groundhog Day and the prognosticating animals have seen their shadows or not, resulting in predictions about how much more winter to expect. In the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray’s character is stuck in a loop of experiencing the same day over and over until he gets some things figured out and has a heart change.

As we continue in a lockdown in Ontario due to Covid-19 and feel like we’re where we’ve already been, perhaps many of us feel like we’re re-living the same thing over and over again. We’re stuck in the restrictions and isolation, wondering what it will take to get society on track with following the rules and the vaccines flowing quicker so we can get off this merry-go-round. We’re all weary of the constant commercials reminding us of what we need to do to stop the spread and the daily updates of cases and deaths, not to mention trying to help others through it.

A book I just finished mentioned the Enneagram personality test as being a good tool for self-understanding. Each of the nine personality types it includes have positive traits and each have shadow characteristics - things that aren’t so wonderful and which, left unchecked, can be an issue for us and those around us. The whole point of personality tests is to raise self-awareness and to better understand how we tick. Acknowledging our shadow side is helpful to us.

Talking to someone on the phone last night about our experiences of the pandemic, she made the comment that the pandemic has brought out the best in most people, but in some people it has brought out the worst. We have certainly seen the shadow side of humanity - hoarding, conspiracy theories, denial and actively putting others’ lives at risk. We have also seen generosity, kindness and self-sacrifice for the good of others.

All of this has made me wonder about our shadow issues beyond the pandemic itself and what it will take for the human race to change our hearts and align them more with God’s heart. What will it take to turn more toward loving God and neighbour than ourselves, to take the big steps to fundamentally change how we live so that it is sustainable for the planet, to eradicate racism and white supremacy, to tackle poverty and homelessness?

We are all too aware of the shadow side of humanity as a whole. We also need to be aware of the shadow side of our individual selves, those things we brush off as just who we are or a necessary or normal response when in fact they can cause wounds or other harm. As Lent approaches and as we reflect on February and love, what do we need to acknowledge in ourselves and repent of so that we can get out of our own loops of sin and self-sabotage and experience freedom? Individually and collectively we have a wonderful opportunity to intentionally come before God and to develop understanding of ourselves, and to listen intently about what we need to change so that we can die to self so that Christ can live in us more fully.

May we have the grace to acknowledge those things that are not honouring of God in our lives and our hearts, and may we have the courage to change so that we find freedom in following Christ. Spring is coming!