The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

John 1:5

Did You Eclipse?

Did you fashion an eclipse viewer from a cereal box, with tin foil and tape, to see the reflection of the sun? Or were you one of the lucky ones who lived near a library (or school) that passed out eclipse-safe viewing glasses? I’ve not seen so many people in paper glasses since old 3D movies.

Did you travel? Some of you did, I heard from you already. Some of us decided to be content with our non-Totality experiences. If you traveled to the Totality, I don’t blame you! It’s the last total solar eclipse in the United States until 2044. Some of us may be there, but none of us will look like we do now if we are!

Why is an eclipse such a big deal?

Frequency plays a huge part. If we did this every week it would be just like taking out the garbage. Also, there’s what it takes to make such an event: celestial bodies, in defined orbits, must cross paths without colliding. It’s “the natural order,” sure, but it’s still a wonder that it all works at all.

Most of all, I think people were chasing just that: wonder. Where do you get wonder in 2024? Some find it at the movies. Others experience it in music. Art is a powerful tonic that speaks to many people. We talk of the wonder of new life at births, the wonder of love at weddings, and the wonder of a life well-lived at memorials.

How about worship? Could there be wonder there as well?

Why not? Why not come expecting an experience of the Divine? Each week, I try to craft a message that speaks not only to your mind, but hopefully to your heart and to your soul. No one skips church to go to academic lectures. But some do skip church to paddle across ponds or to sit in the sunlight of a cafe or to be with friends.

Through it all, they’re seeking the same thing: wonder. Awe. Poignance and spirit. Sometimes we see it in the darkness, sometimes in the light.

One final reflection on Eclipses…

Most of us noticed a simple fact, even if we’re in the “totality” where the “whole” sun was blocked.

There is still light. The light of the sun is so powerful, so awesome, that even in totality can its light be stopped. Those who stood in those special places on Monday experienced a kind of dawn, or dusk light. It’s why the birds and other animals sometimes act strangely in an eclipse. It’s not what they’re expecting, and they start acting the way they would if it were dawn. Or dusk.

It’s a wonder. But also, from a Christian perspective, a chance to note: the light never goes out. Even in total darkness, the sun is there, like God, reminding us of the power of life.