Seeing Creation

If you were out last night and the skies were clear you may have noticed a beautiful full moon.  You may even have thought it looked bigger than usual.  Actually it was.  Last night we experienced what some have called a “super moon.”  Because the moon was at the closest point it gets to the earth and it happened to be a full moon the view of our lunar neighbor was extra special last evening.  It will be quite a while before the conditions are the same again so I hope you got to see it.

The moon has fascinated humans from the very beginning.  It continues to be a source of fascination for me.  Early in my life I dreamed of one day becoming an astronaut and flying to the moon.  Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were my heroes.  Needless to say, my dream of becoming an astronaut never materialized.

For quite some time the moon has been a reminder to me of an important spiritual truth.  In the Gospels Jesus indicated that he was “the light of the world” and in the Sermon on the Mount he went on to say “You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

This passage raises an interesting question.  Is Jesus the light of the world or are we?  The answer in once sense is obvious; we both are.  But there is certainly a difference in the light we share and the light Christ shared.  Jesus, as the Son of God, shown with his own light.  Our light, however, is derivative.  We shine as the light of the world only as we reflect the light of Christ.  It’s here where the moon helps us out.  As every elementary school child learns, the moon has no light of its own; it simply reflects the sun’s light.  In the spiritual life it is the same.  We have no light to share of our own but we are able to be reflections of Christ’s light.

When I look up at the moon I’m often reminded of our calling to be “the light of the world” and how if I am to let my light shine at all I must remain close to the true Source of light and reflect his light to others.  If we let things get between us and the Source of light we do not offer much of a reflection.  It’s imperative that we remove anything that hinders Christ’s light from shining on us and from us.  In a world filled with as much darkness as ours, I’m hoping there will be lots of “super moons” out there and that I can be one of them too.

–Chuck

(I took both of these images last night in my back yard.)