Shadows
Originally scheduled for September 3
One of the most dramatic fight scenes in movie
history came in the 1940 movie,
Adventures of Robin Hood. It was a difficult one to stage,
primarily because Errol Flynn had very little practice in swordplay,
despite the number of swashbuckling roles he had played. His
opponent, Basil Rathbone, was an experienced fencer and generally
considered an expert on stage swordfights. The fight lasts for
several minutes, and it was essential that Flynn, who played the
hero of the piece, had to look every bit as good as Rathbone, the
villain. The fight choreographers came up with an unusual solution.
Most of the fight is actually shown either in close-up shots of the
face or in the shadows of the two combatants. The scene is still
considered a classic today.
The entire scene depends upon the human ability
to look at shadows and perceive what causes them. There are number
of reasons a director would use shadows; it might be that the action
is in a light to bright to be viewed by human eyes. You might not be
able look at that light directly, but the shadows would tell you
what was going on. You know that there is more information
available; your brain, however sort of “fills in the blanks.” It’s
an excellent way to convey a general impression without giving
specific details. You don’t have all the facts, but you do know
what’s going on.
God takes a similar method in teaching us.
Think about it: many of the things of God has to say to the human
race are so deep and so profound that we are not yet able to
comprehend them. So he uses methods which engage our entire thought
and leave out some of the details that we should not yet know.
Communion is an example of this technique.
Communion casts its shadows in many directions.
·
It casts its shadow on the past,
looking back to the price paid on Calvary by our Lord. It tells you
how much it takes to atone for sin and satisfy the wrath of God.
·
It looks forward to the return of our
Lord and the general resurrection of the dead. It will be a day of
joy for those who have accepted the grace of Jesus Christ. It will
be a day of wrath for those who do not believe.
Today we see the shadow, and from it we know
the reality. The light of God shines from behind the reality,
showing us its shadow and the outline of things past, present and
future. When you partake, do so in a worthy manner. You are handling
the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, even if only in shadow.
