In this week’s edition of our weekly Wednesday newsletter, Scott reflects on this week’s awe-inspiring solar eclipse, and notes: “Perhaps there is a reminder here we all needed.”
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Dear friends in Christ,
Like many millions of others, I traveled a few hours to see the total solar eclipse on Monday. I dithered for a long time, wondering if the time off and the hassle would be worth it. I sure am glad I went. Wow.
I had seen solar eclipses before, but this was my first time seeing a total eclipse. As many others have reported, the moment of totality was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. Nature seemed confused, and people were gobsmacked. Amazing. Life-changing. Awe-inspiring. Wonderful. People used words like these over and over. In the park where I watched the eclipse, applause broke out. Others reported screams, but I mostly heard “wow” and soft, gleeful sounds.
What is going on here? The eclipse had been predicted for years. We were told what to expect. You could see videos of what an eclipse looks like. And, yet, it had a profound effect on us. It was one of those moments when we all realize that we are part of something much larger than ourselves. This universe we live in is pretty stunning. For people of faith, an eclipse is one of those things that reminds us of God’s glory and majesty.
Psalm 8 is on point:
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?
God’s creation is more beautiful and more vast than we can imagine, and yet God cares for each of us. Perhaps there is a reminder here we all needed.
Have you ever been gobsmacked by nature? What did you allow that to do in your life? What can we apply from our encounters with an eclipse to our encounters with God’s people – equally stunning in their own way?
Yours faithfully,
Scott Gunn
Executive Director
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