After The Darkness
Good morning my sisters and brothers;
Yesterday's solar eclipse was divine. I sat in the middle of our wild meadow and watched as the landscape became shrouded in darkness. At first it was almost imperceptible, but before long the shadow of the eclipse rolled in like a heavy fog bank. And as the light faded, the wind calmed and the birds kept their songs to themselves. It was a silence that defies description. It was both physical and spiritual, leaving me feeling suspended in time and space. I was breathless. And at the apex of the eclipse, the passage from the Gospel of Luke suddenly came to mind, floating like a butterfly and alighting in my heart.
Luke 23: 44-45
" It was now about noon, and the darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun's light failed, and the curtain of the temple was torn in two."
On many occasions I have written about thin places. This was one of the thinnest I have ever experienced. It was as though I were standing at a portal between the earthly and divine, and I half expected long lost loved ones to suddenly walk through and stand in the wild meadow. It reminded me of the scene from the movie "Fields of Dreams" when team members from the 1919 Chicago White Sox walk out of a cornfield onto a baseball diamond to play ball long after they all had passed away. The players are in their prime, and the scene unfolds joyfully as they engage in a pick up game which highlights the exuberance of youth and a zest for life. And as sunlight slowly returned and the darkness retreated, the portal began to close
and I felt transformed.
It has been said that the light after an eclipse is abnormally bright. I can attest to this. As I exited the wild meadow and made my way to the house, I looked down at my shadow and was actually startled. The sun shone so brilliantly that the shadow it cast seemed from a different dimension. It was beautiful, inky black and it seemed to emit energy. It was a magical day. And as I drew in a long and deep breath, the birds suddenly began singing again and the wind picked up. The next total eclipse of the sun visible in our area will be 2144.
This was a once in a lifetime experience. A thin place.
This morning while walking Frijolito through the wild meadow at dawn, I stopped at the spot where I had prayed during the eclipse. And as I looked around, it was clear to me that there is beauty after the darkness. God's creation is simply amazing.
Our little reflection group is simply amazing.
It is such an honour to serve this faithful group of disciples.
Thank you for the gift of your friendship and trust.
And please remember that if you are going through difficult times and are having trouble seeing your way through, please send me a message.
It is always darkest before the dawn. Let the light of Christ show you the way.
Let us pray
Lord, hear our prayer. You have
always shown us the way from
darkness into the light. For
those struggling now to see the
light, we ask that You shine it a
bit brighter in our world. Grant
us all the grace to see a way
forward through the present
darkness.
Amen
Diosito me los colme de bendiciones y alegría siempre
Paz
I love you
John