Yesterday, was the day of the Solar Eclipse. I was flying into Lousiville, KY, when the pilot of our airplane announced that the eclipse would take place about the time we were scheduled to land. The sun’s reflection on the wing of the plane was like bright white light that faded into darkness as we approached Louisville. Our flight arrived early and so I had only four minutes to run outside, find my special glasses(thanks to Robin) and look up. Although I only saw a partial eclipse, the sight was magnificent.
From Louisville I drove to Carbondale, IL, where earlier that day they had a view of the eclipse in its full totality and with the longest duration in the country. There were close to a quarter of a million people who came to Carbondale for the this event including many from the national media and NASA.
An eclipse occurs when the earth, moon and sun are in alignment. They are aligned in such a rare and unusual way that the moon, which is much 400 times smaller than the sun, totally blocks our view of the sun. The sun is eclipsed as it were. This allows us to see the part of the sun know as the corona. It is called a corona because it looks like a golden crown.
At the begining and end of toltality, another wondrous sight appears in the sky. A brilliant white light shines forth like a diamond. The diamond can only be seen during a total eclipse.
Alignment is important. I have owned enough used cars to know when my car is out of alignment. A vehicle that is out of alignment is difficult to drive and wears out tires quickly. In the same way, alignment is an important part of the Christian’s journey. When we are “aligned” with Christ and the values of God’s kingdom than Christ’s light shines through us.
The spiritual journey is the journey of a lifetime. It requires patience and persistence. When everything falls into place it is magnificent to behold. Therefore, let us align ourselves with Jesus Christ and the values of his kingdom.
I Count It All Joy,
Pastor Vallerie