Anna performing a traditional Mongolian dance at Father's Love Church. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Team KGKL Keiko Adachi
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” –Matthew 5:8
In The Republic by Plato, there is an illustration called “The Allegory of the Cave.” In it Plato imagines a group of prisoners who are chained and spend their entire lives watching shadows on a wall of a cave cast by figures that pass in front of a large fire behind them. The prisoners can hear the figures passing behind them but due to the chains that bind them, they cannot see the actual figures that cast the shadows. Thus, the silhouettes they see on the wall in front of them are their only reality.
This is my own interpretation of the allegory, but I find that sometimes I live like those prisoners. At times, I do not live from a faith perspective, but through my own foolishly limited point of view. The shadows of circumstances tend to overwhelm me more than the reality of God’s infinite power. I have found that in many ways I remain chained to my own meager understanding of who God is, His power, and my own capabilities. Shackles of doubt and unbelief constantly try to press me down from seeing and acting upon The Truth.
This past summer I spent twelve incredible days with the people of Father’s Love Church in Mongolia. While I was there I noticed the “chains” that had restricted them to only seeing the “shadows of the cave wall” had been broken off. The eyes of their understanding have been enlightened, and metaphorically speaking, they have thrown off the shackles and turned around to trust The One operating behind the scenes. They have seen The Truth and have been transformed by the reality of His authority. I saw that the people of this church exemplify a pure, child-like faith. They live in expectancy for miracles, take God at His word and have learned to take the limits off of Him. They possess real faith that He is truly in control and able to do exceedingly abundantly above all they ask or think according to His power at work within them.
Needless to say, I left Mongolia thoroughly inspired by their zeal for the Lord, challenged to trust God at a deeper level. Let us not be ruled by the shadows on the wall, but by The All Consuming Fire that casts them.
