A Total Eclipse

The reason is the moon will become much closer to the Earth so it will appear larger. As the moon travels around the Earth, during a total eclipse, the moon will pass between the sun and the Earth for a moment. When everything lines up exactly, the sun is covered by the moon. This means that the daytime sky has a shadow of darkness as the moon slides over and covers the sunlight. 

We don’t have to just make sense of this in a scientific way. In fact, I prefer to use a Christian lens for a more profound explanation of this celestial occurrence. The bible describes the solar eclipse in a variety of ways. In the book of Joshua (10:13), Joshua spoke to the Lord; and he said in the sight of Israel,

“Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.’ And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped…The sun stopped in mid-heaven, and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.”

The book of Joel (2:31) describes a different meaning for the total solar eclipse, when God’s Spirit poured out and He says,

“I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

The Acts of the Apostles in chapter two verse twenty, echo these sentiments with,

“The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 

Of course we cannot forget the most important celestial occurrence from over 2000 years ago. A star which marked the place of birth for our Lord Jesus Christ, Savior to the world. It is where our healing journey began as I describe in my first book “A Star in the Distance.” 

Jesus was born but was crucified, died and rose from the dead, on Easter which we celebrated only a week ago. On the day Jesus was crucified, Luke’s gospel (23:44-46) explains,

“it was now about noon, and 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. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last.” 

Jesus has risen and is alive. Christians around the world continue to celebrate Easter for forty days after Jesus’ resurrection up to Pentecost. These post forty days are crucial because this is the time when Jesus continues to teach the disciples to deliver his message. It is part of the reason why I called my recent healing book “Finding Life in Forty Days.” The forty days during lent when Jesus was tempted by Satan but also the significant forty days after Jesus was crucified, died for us, and was resurrected. It is during these times that we explore ways to find life allowing God to lead us to healing. We no longer have to run away from God. He is with us. He is alive. The shadow of darkness experienced during the total solar eclipse is a reminder to us of the darkness that can overtake our lives if we let that happen.

I talk about moving towards the light in order to heal. Being children of light means allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in our actions, habits and way of life. My book, “Finding Life in Forty Days,” discusses ways to peel away anything that is dark, negative, or toxic in your life in order to allow the light in. In order to allow God in to your life. Jesus is alive and because of this darkness no longer has power over us because God is with us. Allowing God to lead us in our lives we can experience the fullness, the total serenity – like the total eclipse of our lives, giving us hope. Even in the darkness of an eclipse we will still experience light inside of us. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light for us, therefore we cannot stumble or be misguided. We rise out of the darkness so that we can heal. We are no longer blind. Rising out of darkness into the light is a common theme from my newly released book “Finding Life in Forty Days.”