“God bridged theology and astrology when he created the heavens and the earth. God made light on the first day. God made the two great lights (the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night) and the stars (Genesis 1)” – James Weldon Johnson’s Creation.
God reached out and took the light in his hands, and God rolled the light round in his hands until he made the sun. He set that sun blazing in the heavens. And the light that was left from making the sun, God gathered it up in a shining ball and flung it against the darkness, spangling the night with the moon and stars. Then down between the darkness and the light, God hurled the world. And God said, “That’s good!” The earth is the lord’s, and all that is within, and it is good. God in his infinite wisdom demonstrates his power throughout the universe.
We witnessed the glory of the Lord as the earth became in alignment between the sun and the moon, casting the moon’s shadow on the earth—a total solar eclipse. We gathered as a community to celebrate the greatness of our God, and stood in darkness together to testify to something and someone greater than us. Yet when it turned dark, we still saw glimpses of the sun. God’s glory is so powerful that we had to wear shades to look at it. God is awesome.
When we experience spiritual eclipses in our lives, and in our world, there is something standing between ourselves and the light causing us to live in dark shadows. In these times, we must look for the light in the midst of the darkness. It is the light of hope, grace, and love that shines even in the dark places of racism, sexism, classism, and other forms of hate. Know that God is putting things in alignment, back in proper motion in our lives and in the world, and in due season, the darkness will fade, and these divisive forces will disappear.
Be encouraged. The light will give us life and energy to do God’s work. We are the light that dispels darkness. So let us shine our lights so that others will see the good works and glorify God. The eclipse was a sign of hope, and a reminder that God can do anything in nature and in each of us.
