The Shadow Knows
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. ”
Sorry, I am even too young to understand the radio show reference. Instead of the radio show reference, I am speaking of what the great psychologist Carl Jung says of the Shadow. He calls us to learn and know what it means to accept our public and shadow selves. God is calling us to be transformed by Christ into something new. However, this spiritual transformation does not wipe out our imperfections.
Accepting the shadow part of ourselves does not mean that we must ignore the aspects of our personality that can improve. Being “a new creation” provides the opportunity to address the Shadow, not that the Shadow is destroyed within us. In the book Emotional Intelligence for Religious Leaders, Roy Oswald speaks to Jung’s Shadow by adding, “Such emotional eruptions are caused by the visceral impulses we keep locked away, which are eventually brought to light by emotional ‘triggers.’” Oswald, et al. encourages us to address the “unacceptable” within our Shadow so that we can learn “the full spectrum of our humanity.” Accepting the unacceptable helps us overcome the “restrictive black-and-white philosophy” that can keep us immature.
Pretending we do not have a shadow self will keep us immature and spirituality stilted. When we are able, according to Oswald, et al. to develop the “courage to face the less attractive facets of our self,” we can name and address the Shadow and bring God’s divine light to shine on the Shadow and bring healing. Of course, we will never stop having a shadow self because we will never become perfect. Yet, we can work to shrink the Shadow and bring deeper maturity to light.
Today, ask God to bring clarity to your shadow self. Rather than respond with guilt and shame, seek to address our emotional and spiritual limitations so we can make a more-significant difference in God’s name. The Shadow knows our fears and shame, but it can also be how we get beyond the self-hatred and become stronger in our faith, and more open to caring for the world around us. The Shadow Knows, and through looking into your shadow, you can, too.
