TLDR: Just as the solar eclipse interrupted our normal rhythm, so can the unexpected. Inside our Book of Common Prayer, one may find comforting words that have provided solace for when your heart comes up empty.
Who remembers the Bonnie Tyler 1983 hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart”? Who remembers two weeks ago what happened on April 8th? Some days I wonder what happened yesterday. Let me remind you.
A few months earlier I had purchased my “Medical King” brand special solar eclipse glasses that were both ISO and CE certified safe for direct solar viewing. I now owned several extra pairs of solar viewing glasses therefore I shared them and passed the eye protective wear to all my colleagues here at St. Dunstan’s hoping, praying the clouds would go away by early afternoon.
Unfortunately, an unsettled weather pattern developed over our area of Houston, so that Monday's eclipse had nothing for me but a heavy overcast cloud cover. The grey skies obstructed any view of the total solar eclipse. The weather did drop in temperatures as Fr. Roman and I wear discussing deep theological thoughts outside. (Yes, your curate has many deep theological questions. You too should ask Fr. Roman your deep theological questions.)
Photograph: Statler Lewis/Tyler, TX
However, my son had a completely different experience as many of you had as well. Statler told me, “The moon completely blocked the sun at around 1:40 in the afternoon. Day turned to night. The stars came out. The temperature dropped nearly 5 degrees. The streetlights even came on. The crowd gasped in awe. Night to day, blue sky to stars. People were visiting from all over. I met people from Australia here in Tyler just visiting for the eclipse.”
Cathy Sullivant and Francis Mallow Taylor took a jaunt up the road to Navasota. They were not disappointed. They witnessed this incredible phenomenon. I asked Cathy if she had any thoughts about her experience. Here’s what she said,
“I thought the eclipse was beautiful! It made me realize how vast God's creation is, and how the universe will continue long after humans on our tiny planet are gone. The light was magnificent also. It was soft and luminous, once again making me think of God's creative genius. Humans simply can't create something so perfect.”
The beautiful fundamental rhythm of life... day and night had been completely upended. And just like that, a pause in our known universe, then four minutes later, everything returned to normal. Here’s an article and a short quick video summarizing the solar experience.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/apr/08/solar-eclipse-texas-watchers-reaction
Raven Davis, an Indigenous multi-media artist, curator and activist, and community organizer of the Anishinaabe (Ojibway) Nation from Manitoba, Canada wrote,
“The dark and the light, they exist side by side. Sometimes overlapping, one explaining the other. The darkened path is as illuminated as the lightened [one]...”
Just as the solar eclipse interrupted our normal rhythm, the light and dark overlapped. There are days when all of life feels sunless and extremely uncertain. And we often find that certain situations- a call from the physician’s office, an email from the school, a text from your sister, a voice message you somehow missed but found a few hours later...all of these parts of life can interrupt of sense of normalcy, our rhythm.
So, what do we do when the phone calls, texts, messages arrive? When light changes quickly to a dark place? I encourage you to have access to some verses from our Holy Scriptures tucked in special place for quick retrieval. I keep 3 x 5 cards stacked in a drawer for such a time. Here is a small sampling:
And pick up your prayer book. Our Book of Common Prayer has comforting words that provide solace for when you come up empty. I know I have found the BCP to be a helpful and rich resource. Evening Prayer for Rite 2 is found on page 115 has a plethora of verses leading us from darkness into light.
Rev. Leesa+
