Back To The Cave

I recently unearthed a treasure of philosophical truth. How did I manage to miss out on the analogy of Plato’s Cave? I do not know.
I teach a Spiritual Formation class and used Plato’s cave analogy as the intro to the class. I find the analogy to be so incredibly appropriate to basic Christian discipleship.
Several years ago, I found myself as a prisoner in a cave, forced to face the front and be good. I questioned just enough to make myself look good and feel smart, but I was ever fearful that I would cross the line that would make others question me. Just as the prisoners in Plato’s cave were conditioned to only see the flickering shadows cast on the cave wall before them, so I was content to see, identify, and feel strongly about the images paraded before me. The shadows were my reality. I knew nothing different, and shaped my spiritual life according to these images. I became quite savvy in identifying the shadows. I knew them by heart. I gained my sense of acceptance and belonging from being able to expound and exegete the shadows.
But one day, or I should say by a process of many days of struggle, heart-ache, frustration, and despair, I was loosed from the chains, and started my journey. My “ascent to the sun.” The ascent out of the cave was difficult and wrought with perils of its own. I was accompanied by brokenness and suffering. At first brokenness and suffering appear to be antagonistic to my goal. They appeared to be against me. However, they were faithful and steady in the role of leading me to the opening of the cave and all that is beyond the cave. Once in the light of full sun, confusion set in as I began to see things in the light looked strangely familiar, but altogether foreign at the same time. The question, “What is true?” challenged and excited me. It amazed me and scared me. I wanted to know what was ultimately true.
As my eyes were “enlightened” (Ephesians 1: 18-20) I began to see truth as it really is, not merely the flickering shadow of truth. I began to experience the reality itself. That reality was nothing less than Jesus Himself (Colossians 2:17). Slowly I began to see Christ for who He truly is. I began to live, to really live, as if alive for the very first time. Time, truth, and love birthed a new desire deep within me. I began to think of all those friends and family in bondage in the cave. My desire and hope was to go “Back to the cave.”
So, here I am, in a most unusual place: the blogosphere. I am not computer literate, nor do I pretend to be. My hope and prayer for this blog is to return to the cave from whence I came to challenge you with news and reports of real spiritual life that will cause some of you to be free to be all that God in Christ created you to be, and to do all that God in Christ will empower you to do.
For those that think I’m blinded for going outside the cave, please don't kill me.
Kurt
PS: Will post the entire analogy next time.