From the Rector: Solar Eclipse – Proper 15A
As you no doubt know already, there will be a total solar eclipse in North America on Monday. In preparation for it, I reread a classic essay by Annie Dillard about the last total eclipse, which she witnessed from its peak viewing location in Washington. In her essay, she writes about the way that, even though the huge crowds around her knew what was happening, nevertheless, there were screams and gasps and cries of fear and dread as the moon slowly slid across the bright sun and the light disappeared from the day:
“From all the hills came screams. A piece of sky beside the crescent sun was detaching. It was a loosened circle of evening sky, suddenly lighted from the back. It was an abrupt black body out of nowhere; it was a flat disk; it was almost over the sun. That is when there were screams. At once this disk of sky slid over the sun like a lid. The sky snapped over the sun like a lens cover…Abruptly it was dark night, on the land and in the sky. In the night sky was a tiny ring of light. The hole where the sun belongs is very small. A thin ring of light marked its place.”
It somehow feels right that this extraordinary natural occurrence, when our source of light will seem to be hidden from view in the middle of the day, will happen in North America in 2017. After all, the forces of darkness are moving about in the daytime. Nazis are marching in American streets. The KKK no longer feels the need to wear hoods, but now proudly show their faces. Armed militias rove about brandishing machine guns and advocating a “white nation.” And some of our leaders advocate for acceptance of these voices of hatred and subjugation, as though there is value to our public discourse from white supremacists. Yes, it feels as though a dark shape is sliding over the sun, blotting out the light, and filling many of us with fear and dread.
Just like with the natural phenomenon, we must remember that the darkness that seems to be sliding over our world is temporary. It will not last. We believe in a Lord who shines in the darkness, which the darkness cannot and will not overcome. Though the days may get darker, and some around us may cry out in fear and dread, we must hold fast to that which we know to be true and timeless and good. We must take strength from the Holy Spirit and continue our witness to the peaceful and loving way of Jesus Christ, trusting that the light will shine all the brighter on the other side of the darkness.
In the meantime, we need to firmly resist the voices of hate. We must reassure our Jewish and Muslim neighbors that we will not tolerate violence or threats against them. We must stand with black and brown neighbors to show that we take no part in a “white Christianity.” We must resist the idea that there are “many sides” to a conflict with Nazism. We must live even more compassionately than ever before, understanding that faithfulness to Jesus Christ in this day and age may require us to risk our own safety and comfort for the sake of defending the vulnerable and defenseless.
So, as you look up at the strange sky on Monday, take time to pray. Pray that you will not succumb to fear or dread, and that, no matter how dark the day becomes, God’s light may shine brightly in your life.
-Casey+