Bright colors announce the start of a brand-new day, and warm hues softly bring that same day to a close. We routinely see magnificent beauty in the sky as the Earth and the sun dance in perfect step with one another every single day. Some days though, like today, we have the opportunity to observe a much less frequent display of beauty in the sky. In a few hours, the moon will pass between the Earth and the sun in perfect alignment. Onlookers will be able to stargaze in the middle of the day, and the sun’s perimeter will appear to be a sparkling diamond ring. Several minutes will allow these poetic words of Scripture to reverberate in our hearts and minds:
“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).
While we can easily recognize the beauty involved in a total solar eclipse, what glorious handiwork of God does the sky proclaim during such a cosmic event? In other words, what can we learn about our Creator on a day like today?
1. Our Creator is mindful of us.
Did you know that Earth is the only planet in our entire solar system from which a total solar eclipse can be observed from the ground? Mercury and Venus don’t have moons, the two moons of Mars are too small to cause a total eclipse of the sun, and no observer can stand upon the outer four gaseous planets. That’s remarkable. The only planet known to have inhabitants is perfectly positioned in the solar system and has the right-sized moon for today’s special event to take place. God wants us to recognize such fine-tuning as part of his great care for us. Consider the words of the psalmist:
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4).
By placing us in this exact orbital position at this particular time in history, God is reminding us that we are special to him. He is mindful of us, and he wants us to see how the careful design of his creative hands points to his love for us.
2. Our Creator has equipped us to recognize true beauty.
Have you ever stopped to think about how and why we can vividly recognize beauty? Our Creator masterfully crafted us with five senses that allow us to experience the world around us and perceive countless things as beautiful. Today the hidden sun will miraculously ignite three of our senses and help us recognize a cosmically beautiful moment. We will see the apparent contrast between light and darkness, we will hear the response of animals as they frantically begin their nighttime routines, and we will shiver in the suddenly colder air. Modern technology even makes it possible for visually impaired individuals to “hear” the eclipse with a device that translates light waves into sound waves. Our senses are such an amazing gift. God did not have to make us with the ability to recognize beauty, but he lovingly did make us that way so that earthly beauty can point us to the ultimate beauty of himself. The beauty of today’s astronomical event pales in comparison to the beauty of our Creator, but it gives us a valuable glimpse of his wondrous character.
3. Our Creator is reminding us that light always wins.
I had the privilege of traveling to the path of totality for the 2017 eclipse, and it was truly one of the coolest things I have ever seen. As I stood in my in-laws’ backyard in middle Tennessee, I was astounded to see nighttime appear in the middle of the day. What’s interesting though is that even at the point of totality, the moment when the face of the sun was completely blocked by the moon, my surroundings did not go completely dark. The stars—or “pinpricks of glory” as Ellie Holcomb calls them—dotted the black sky, and flames burst from the edges of the hidden sun. It was a powerful reminder to me that in the battle between light and darkness, light wins every time. There has never been a day in which the rising sun did not break the darkness of night, and there has never been an eclipse from which the sun did not break free. The harmonious relationship between the sun, moon, and Earth is a constant reminder from the “Father of lights” (James 1:17) that “[t]he light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
Today is a special day that the Lord has made. May we not miss this opportunity to stand in awe of our loving Creator who guides the celestial bodies “by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3). He speaks to us through his creation, and today he is using creation to remind us that we are special to him, that he is the beautiful Creator who makes beautiful things, and that light always breaks the power of darkness. Let’s look to the sky this afternoon and hear the proclamation of his glorious handiwork.
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