May we seek God in the darkness as well as in the light
On Aug. 21, our family traveled several miles to be in the right place, at the right time, to witness the total eclipse of the sun.
It seemed odd to be going out of our way, joining masses of people to experience a couple of minutes of darkness. I am still reflecting on the experience, knowing I will most likely not be around for the next one.
The evening before the eclipse, we had dinner with people from Germany, California and Canada as well as folk from Bend, Ore., who had traveled to Prairie City to catch just a few more seconds of the experience. Naturally, the conversation around the table was about the phenomenal things scientists are discovering in our galaxy today.
I couldn’t help but think about my Dad, a humble farmer, who on more than one occasion heard celestial music as he plowed the potato fields, manning a team of horses. He could not have imagined today’s world.
The morning of the eclipse, we donned solar lenses and felt chilled by both the eeriness of it all and the drop in temperature. We were a family gathered together, alone in our thoughts, anticipating the moment we had all been waiting for. It arrived precisely at the prescribed time.
We took off our glasses, gazed around and looked directly at the eclipse. My breath was taken away by the beauty and stillness of it all. The animals lay down in the pasture. Birds roosted in the trees. Stars became visible. For a brief moment, the world around me stood still — a unitive experience of awe and wonder.
Astronomers tell us the sun is 400 times farther away from us than the moon, yet the moon casts a shadow big enough to totally block out all direct sunlight!
The eclipse reminds me of times in my life when shadows of sadness, grief and loss loomed over me, blocking out all connection to life as I knew it. During those painful times, my spiritual geography shifted, breaking me open to new ways of experiencing God. Franciscan Friar Richard Rohr says “we do not think ourselves into new ways of living, we live ourselves into new ways of thinking.”
During the total eclipse, we got to see the inner part of the sun’s corona framing the darkness of the moon’s shadow. This is only possible during a total eclipse.
The heroic acts of the people who have selflessly responded in support of the victims of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and human madness, certainly shed light in the darkness of suffering and death. In these tumultuous times, let us pray for our elected representatives and ourselves as we live out the challenges and privileges of life on this planet.
May we seek God in the darkness as well as in the light — Emmanuel — God with us and within us for all eternity.
Cathy Rhoads is a certified chaplain, spiritual counselor and attends Christ the King Church in Richland. Questions and comments should be directed to editor Lucy Luginbill in care of the Tri-City Herald newsroom, 333 W. Canal Drive, Kennewick, WA 99336. Or email lluginbill@tricityherald.com.
This story was originally published December 30, 2017 at 1:13 PM with the headline "May we seek God in the darkness as well as in the light."