Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
- James 1:17
On any given day, our nation is a fractured place. Where we once rallied around universal principles, we are now divided along party lines. Where we once shared communal dinner tables, now we eat alone and on the go. Where we all used to watch the same TV shows and then talk about them the next day around the water cooler, now we are so inundated with content that no one can keep up.
But for four minutes on Monday, everybody was doing the same thing.
On any given day, we are obsessed with efficiency and productivity and ambition. We define ourselves by what we do for a living, placing an outsized value on our jobs. Success is our ultimate goal and work is where we find meaning.
But for four minutes on Monday, lawyers and teachers and gas station attendants alike left their posts for something bigger.
On any given day, we are a cynical, skeptical people. We’re quick to contextualize things that seem incredible, lessening their immediate impact. We’re hard to impress, and reluctant to admit amazement. Being cool means staying at a remove and never being overtaken with emotion.
But for four minutes on Monday, we were awestruck.
The total solar eclipse, a momentary celestial phenomenon, was enough to change our ingrained habits and overcome our natural inclinations, if only for an afternoon. It provoked the kind of unabashed wonder normally reserved for children, leaving us all enthralled in its wake. God’s creation left an unmistakable impression.
But then, of course, it was over. Darkness gave way to light, we threw our eclipse glasses away, and we went back to who we were before.
The lesson? Creation is amazing, but it’s merely a shadow of the Creator. Its glory pales in comparison to His. If you want to know real change, lasting power, eternal glory, you won’t find it in the stars—you’ll only find it in the Son.
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