Co-Crucified with Christ: Plato’s Allegory of the Cave
By Anthony Tawadross
This story is from Plato’s Republic. It’s very lengthy so I will try to condense it:
Imagine that there were some prisoners, and from childhood, they were tied up with chains facing a wall of a cave. And they hear sounds echoing off the cave walls. All they have seen were shadows that were on the wall from the fire that was burning behind them. Nothing else.
On the wall they see shadows from the people that were behind them holding up artifacts, statues and figures of animals and other things of creation. They have never seen anyone, not even their fellow prisoners because they were bound with chains from their necks, only facing the wall.
Throughout their whole lives, they have only seen the shadows and only heard the echoes that were from the wall. Nothing else. They think that these shadows are real, and all there is to society and to truth.
Plato says, imagine if one of these prisoners were set free. And you told him to look at the fire that was burning behind him. The prisoner’s eyes wouldn’t be able to handle the light from that
fire. His eyes would burn and ache from looking at that source of light. He sees the statues of the animals, and refuses to believe that the statues are real, only the shadows. He begs to be chained
again to live in his reality of the shadows.
Now imagine you took the same prisoner again, and you dragged him into the sunlight. He wouldn’t be able to see anything at all. He moved from a pitch-black cave into a flickering light, and now going into direct sunlight, after being there for the entirety of his life. Not for a day, nor an hour, but through his entire life. His eyes have never seen bright light like that. He is so overwhelmed by the sun. And only after a while, when his eyes are able to adjust, then he will see. Then he will be able to discern, and feast his eyes on the sun, and on reality. Now, what if that very same prisoner came and told the others the real truth? Wouldn’t they say that he was delusional? Or that he came back with eyes ruined? Wouldn’t they say that they knew the truth and that he was psychotic and stupid? Perhaps they would kill him or anyone else that would try to set them free and bring them up towards the sunlight.
Now concerning the crucifixion and the Resurrection of Christ, here are a few things that are outlined in this story (I refer to capital “T” and “L” of Light and Truth as being Christ):
- In order for us to actually live in the Truth and under the true Light, there must be suffering that takes place. Yes, it is nice and cozy to live in our chains and to see comfort in the “shadows” of a false reality, especially if we have been living in it for quite some time. But we must suffer the burning pain of looking and living in Light, if we were to yearn to fully live in real Truth, i.e. : being co-crucified with Christ.
- To live in the true Light, which shines on everything that is True and good, we must acknowledge Light and Truth, and reject shadows and false imitations of truth. When the prisoner in the story was exposed under the light of the sun, he came and told his fellow prisoners about his experience. In response, they accused of him of being psychotic, delusional, and stupid. They were convinced that the shadows on the walls were real and that everything else was not. They threatened to kill him and anyone that would try to set them free and drag them into the sun. As for that freed prisoner, he enjoyed the beauty of the True Light that touched everything. Every True thing that he saw was under the Light. He wouldn’t continue to live in Truth, if he did not understand his error and reject his previous understanding of truth.
- To continue living in Light and in Truth, we must resist darkness and pursue Light. Notice that in the story, living in darkness is extremely comfortable and going to the Light is very painful and hard. Even getting a glimpse of light is difficult. To pursue light is to live in Christ all the time and to discover beautiful things of the Truth. By understanding and living the Bible through the lens of the Church fathers and mothers and those who were fully obsessed with Truth (the monks and nuns), reading spiritual books, and partaking of the Eucharist, our minds and hearts will be constantly enlightened. In this we become “the Light of the world”, just as our Resurrected Savior said. In this we become agents of Truth, witnessing to those who don’t live in it. We will be like Christ; little Truths living in the world. (ie: Deification).
- The last point about this story that immediately came through my mind are two sayings of St Antony: “To say that God turns away from the sinful, is like saying that the sun hides from the blind.” “A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him, saying, ‘You are mad; you are not like us.” Yes, by following the True Light (Christ) we will be called “psychotic, delusional, stupid,
and crazy”, as the prisoner in the story. But in reality, it is the opposite. (Pulling a UNO-Reverse card). By being co-Crucified with Christ on the Cross, we experience pain, sadness, suffering, and even abandonment and criticism from our friends. We die with Him. But we are Resurrected and glorified with Him. Let us fully and freely live in the Light of the Resurrection.
Christ is Risen.