Shadows

 

I saw her shadow today on my run. I haven’t seen it for nearly two years. The shadow looks stronger than the woman who creates it feels. The shadow whose ponytail confidently bounces up and down. The one with the wonky stride created by the wonky left leg. The shadow cheerfully waves at everyone who passes, even the ones who the woman knows oppose values she holds deep in her soul.  The shadow reminds the woman what Kate Bowler told her this week—that it is going to take hard work to rebuild community when this pandemic ends.  It is not going take cheap grace but expensive, extravagant love to do that.

By the end of the run, the sun had shifted, and the shadow was no longer beside her, me, but behind, as if to say, “I’m still here, but you’ve got this now.” For me, rebuilding community is starting with a shadow’s wave.