SOLAR ECLIPSE

What a beautiful experience it was to have witnessed the total solar eclipse that occurred on April 8, 2024, at Lake Ontario. It was an unexpected sacred moment in time—a true God moment and encounter that made me marvel at the God of the universe who made the heavens and the earth.

When we first arrived, the sun was out and the weather was cooperating so we just needed a light jacket. We could see the whole sun with the solar glasses on. Some clouds started rolling in, and the sky got a little darker. But just in time, God graced us with being able to see the eclipse clearly as the clouds started moving from the area where the sun was.

 

 

Our friends had a set list for the few hours of the event, which was perfectly timed with the different phases of the eclipse. We all agreed to be in total silence during the totality of time to soak in the sacredness of the moment.

Around 3:20 p.m., the sky became darker and darker. On the water’s horizon, we could see some sunlight followed by darkness in the sky above. It was special to see that, despite the darkness, there was still some light present. The water was still, and we could hear some birds chirping away. I believe they were confused by what was happening.

 

 

As the time of totality approached, from 3:22 p.m. to 3:25 p.m., we were all in awe of witnessing the beauty of the solar eclipse before us. Looking at the moon progressing to cover the sun, we could still see the outer area, a ring, of the sun’s light. We could also see a red mark on the bottom of the moon, which I learned is called a solar prominence, which looks like an upside-down ‘v.’ It extends from the sun’s surface to its outer atmosphere, which is called the corona. “The red, glowing looped material is plasma, a hot gas comprised of electrically charged hydrogen and helium,” NASA states.

 

 

As I was standing there in awe of the events happening, I reflected on how significant it was that this solar eclipse was happening so close to the Easter Triduum and Easter Sunday we celebrated about a week and a half ago. I see it as God’s perfect orchestration.

Consider what happens during a solar eclipse: darkness (the moon) slowly covers the light (the sun). This darkness in our area lasted about three minutes and forty seconds before the darkness, the moon, moved away, leaving the light, the sun, to shine brightly again.

A solar eclipse is the perfect reminder of what happened when Jesus’ beaten and scourged body was hung on the cross where He died and was then placed in a tomb covered by a stone. Darkness filled the earth when Jesus died. What happened three days later? Jesus, the true light of this world, was resurrected. The stone was rolled away, and the light filled the earth.

 

Photo courtesy of Donut_Diva under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)

 

I was reminded of different parallels between witnessing this solar eclipse and Jesus’ life and death.

When, a little after 3 p.m. in the afternoon, it became as dark as night, I thought of that Good Friday when Jesus died on the cross for you and me.

Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way. At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”  –Matthew 27:44-46  (NLT)

What a great parallel that the total solar eclipse that I witnessed happened around the same time of day that Jesus breathed His last. In the last three hours of Jesus’ life, the earth became dark just as our totality time was around three minutes.

 

Observing the stillness and quietness of the water reminded me of how Jesus calms the storms in our lives.

“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor! Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.  –Psalm 107:28-31  (NLT)

What a beautiful psalm to remind us that whenever we are going through a storm or in distress, we only need to call out to Jesus to help us. Our spirits can be as calm as the water was during the eclipse when we cry out in faith to Jesus. He brings us to safety.

 

 

The birds reminded me to sing praises to our Creator.

The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches.  –Psalm 104:12  (NIV)

I love to see the birds flying about near different bodies of water. It is even more beautiful to hear them sing praises to our Creator. What a good reminder to try and be more like them, to be carefree, and to sing praises.

 

As the moon covered the sun, there was a beautiful ring of white light that reminded me of Jesus shining in our lives.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  –John 8:12  (NIV)

Jesus is the light of the world! If we believe in and follow Jesus, we have His light shining through us into this world and the lives of others. What a wonderful gift that is! Despite the dark sky, a ring of light from the sun shone forth, being greater than the darkness of the moon. The same is true in our lives.

 

 

Seeing the moon continue moving upward until the sun was once again fully revealed reminded me of Jesus’ resurrection.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”  –Matthew 28:2-6  (NIV) 

What an amazing sight this must have been! Imagine a violent earthquake followed by an angel rolling back the stone from the dark tomb. The angel was like a bright light too, with clothes that were so bright and white. Though the guards and women were frightened, they did learn the good news of Jesus’ resurrection.  

 

Remember, life and its struggles may get very dark at times,

  BUT with Jesus, the Son,

    we always have the victory!

        Even in the darkest of times,

            light will return!

 

A few hours after the eclipse I was in awe of seeing the water look like a stairway to heaven; it looked like the ripples were horizontal and even had vertical ones on each side.  I have to think it was some phenomenon of the solar eclipse. I have never seen anything like it.

 

 

 

Be encouraged this week to…

…be present with Jesus in the darkness in His final three hours of life.

…cry out to Jesus to bring calmness and stillness to the storms in your life.

…imitate the birds of the sky and sing continual praises to God.

…share the light of Jesus that shines in you.

…let the power of Jesus’ resurrection dispel the darkness in you.

 

REFLECTION:

What storm can you ask the Lord to help calm?
What concrete way can you share the light of Jesus with someone?

In him [Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  –John 1:4-5  (NIV)