Trust- the Light will dawn…
Where will you be on Monday, April 8th at 3:23pm?
The weather ap predicts a clear day in New Britain, PA, with a gentle breeze and temperatures in the low 60s to welcome an event that will not come again in North America until May 1, 2079. Step outside Monday, anytime between 2:00pm and 4:00pm. You will experience the development of this rare phenomenon, with the height, or perhaps the dark, of the experience coming at 3:23pm for those in our corner of PA. We live just southeast of the path of this celestial event. If you were in Erie, PA on Monday, you could witness the complete eclipse of the sun as the moon passes across the sun. Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Montreal all stand in the direct track of the eclipse. Imagine standing at the edge of Niagara Falls as the sun goes dark. Here in New Britain, we will experience a mere 80% of the eclipse- still a rather stunning event. For those in the direct path of the eclipse, from Texas to Maine, the total eclipse will last only 3 minutes and 43 seconds. Blink and you may miss it! But do not look up to watch, because the solar rays around the edge of the eclipse can burn the retina!
I remember ‘seeing’ a total solar eclipse in 1970. Our family lived in Virginia while my father’s ship was stationed in Norfolk. That day, my teacher gathered our class out on the school yard with homemade viewers that allowed us to ‘see’ the event without looking directly at the sun. How desperately I wanted to look up, but my teacher’s warning that we would go blind if we peaked, kept me looking down at the reflection of the eclipse instead. I still remember the chill when the world went black, and the cheer of our school as the sun began to shine again. My mother, being a good Christian mother, used the eclipse as a Bible lesson that night, reminding us that the sun went dark as Jesus died on the cross. Three of the Gospel writers record that “from noon until 3pm darkness came over all the land…” (Matthew 27:45-54)
Though my mother linked that Biblical event to the solar eclipse that day, scientists would tell us that what happened two thousand years ago could not have been a normal eclipse. Such celestial events last a maximum of 8 minutes, not the recorded 180 minutes in the gospel accounts. NASA records no celestial movements necessary in CE 33 that would create a natural solar eclipse that could be seen in the Middle East. And finally, we know that Jesus died during Passover that always falls during a full moon. A natural solar eclipse can only happen during the ‘new moon’ phase; thus, the Biblical event could not have been a natural happening. Some would argue that the gospel writers were just using dramatic license to express the darkness felt as Jesus died, yet several historians of the day also record this startling darkness as an actual event. Evangelist Anne Graham Lotz writes, “Perhaps all creation was crying out when the Word that spoke creation into being hung on a cross. Or perhaps, the darkness was a sign of God’s judgment.”
I wonder at God’s judgment today. Even when the sun shines, the darkness seems to hang heavy on us. Consider the darkness of our day:
Enter the Savior. He is “the light that shines in the darkness- that the darkness cannot overcome.” (John 1:5) Easter is the declaration that darkness does not have the last say. Jesus, the Light of the world, has already won the victory that we need today. We see that victory declared in the Psalms. Ps. 22 begins- “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” That despair is answered in Psalm 23- “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want…” and Psalm 27- “The Lord is my Light and my salvation.” We see that victory declared at Barclay Elementary where a godly Principal has inspired a community to answer hunger and poverty with generous donations of food and love. We see that victory in the Women’s Retreat at LVC, where Marie Monville declared that God’s grace is greater than any human tragedy. We see that victory as Lenape Valley gathered on Sunday to raise the roof with praise, celebrating that Jesus has the last say. His light shines through the darkness bringing hope. Today, I choose to walk in His light!
Will you join me, walking in the Savior’s light?
Anita
The weather ap predicts a clear day in New Britain, PA, with a gentle breeze and temperatures in the low 60s to welcome an event that will not come again in North America until May 1, 2079. Step outside Monday, anytime between 2:00pm and 4:00pm. You will experience the development of this rare phenomenon, with the height, or perhaps the dark, of the experience coming at 3:23pm for those in our corner of PA. We live just southeast of the path of this celestial event. If you were in Erie, PA on Monday, you could witness the complete eclipse of the sun as the moon passes across the sun. Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Montreal all stand in the direct track of the eclipse. Imagine standing at the edge of Niagara Falls as the sun goes dark. Here in New Britain, we will experience a mere 80% of the eclipse- still a rather stunning event. For those in the direct path of the eclipse, from Texas to Maine, the total eclipse will last only 3 minutes and 43 seconds. Blink and you may miss it! But do not look up to watch, because the solar rays around the edge of the eclipse can burn the retina!
I remember ‘seeing’ a total solar eclipse in 1970. Our family lived in Virginia while my father’s ship was stationed in Norfolk. That day, my teacher gathered our class out on the school yard with homemade viewers that allowed us to ‘see’ the event without looking directly at the sun. How desperately I wanted to look up, but my teacher’s warning that we would go blind if we peaked, kept me looking down at the reflection of the eclipse instead. I still remember the chill when the world went black, and the cheer of our school as the sun began to shine again. My mother, being a good Christian mother, used the eclipse as a Bible lesson that night, reminding us that the sun went dark as Jesus died on the cross. Three of the Gospel writers record that “from noon until 3pm darkness came over all the land…” (Matthew 27:45-54)
Though my mother linked that Biblical event to the solar eclipse that day, scientists would tell us that what happened two thousand years ago could not have been a normal eclipse. Such celestial events last a maximum of 8 minutes, not the recorded 180 minutes in the gospel accounts. NASA records no celestial movements necessary in CE 33 that would create a natural solar eclipse that could be seen in the Middle East. And finally, we know that Jesus died during Passover that always falls during a full moon. A natural solar eclipse can only happen during the ‘new moon’ phase; thus, the Biblical event could not have been a natural happening. Some would argue that the gospel writers were just using dramatic license to express the darkness felt as Jesus died, yet several historians of the day also record this startling darkness as an actual event. Evangelist Anne Graham Lotz writes, “Perhaps all creation was crying out when the Word that spoke creation into being hung on a cross. Or perhaps, the darkness was a sign of God’s judgment.”
I wonder at God’s judgment today. Even when the sun shines, the darkness seems to hang heavy on us. Consider the darkness of our day:
- the war Russia is waging to claim control of their southern neighbor Ukraine, while we defend our ally with tepid resolve…
- climate change that stirs extremes in our weather, ravaging our communities with increasing intensity…
- AI that can imitate voices with such clarity that even their creators are concerned about the implications
- racial slurs and threats shouted at the Utah women’s basketball team…
- scammers who trick people out of their life savings…
- a swastika spray painted on a Jewish temple sign in Wynnewood…
- a me-first, me-and-mine only attitude that pervades our culture, even among Christians…
- politicians waving a Bible as a political prop and using the name of our God as a political endorsement- actions that should enrage our Christian sensibilities, yet seem to inspire cheering crowds and more donations…
- the war in the Holy Land leaving children homeless, starving and witness to unspeakable horror… volunteers killed by a missile strike as they bring food to those hungry children…
- gun violence that makes our city streets fearful, and angry words that make our suburbs contentious…
Enter the Savior. He is “the light that shines in the darkness- that the darkness cannot overcome.” (John 1:5) Easter is the declaration that darkness does not have the last say. Jesus, the Light of the world, has already won the victory that we need today. We see that victory declared in the Psalms. Ps. 22 begins- “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” That despair is answered in Psalm 23- “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want…” and Psalm 27- “The Lord is my Light and my salvation.” We see that victory declared at Barclay Elementary where a godly Principal has inspired a community to answer hunger and poverty with generous donations of food and love. We see that victory in the Women’s Retreat at LVC, where Marie Monville declared that God’s grace is greater than any human tragedy. We see that victory as Lenape Valley gathered on Sunday to raise the roof with praise, celebrating that Jesus has the last say. His light shines through the darkness bringing hope. Today, I choose to walk in His light!
Will you join me, walking in the Savior’s light?
Anita
Posted in From The Pastor
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