The Lord of the Ring
There was worldwide hype leading up to the 2024 total solar eclipse. My past interest in eclipses has been minimal, as the solar or lunar events have either not been nearby, or the weather of the day didn’t present the opportunity for viewing.
I was a bit more intrigued this time around and very interested when we realized we had the unique opportunity to camp in Wapakoneta, OH, which was close to the center of the path of totality. The event we attended included the appropriate glasses and a presentation on the eclipse. Of course, being in the path of totality was no guarantee. If the clouds rolled in, you could miss it all.
On Monday afternoon, we grabbed our chairs and headed down to join the others from our group on a grassy area with a clear, unobstructed view of the sky. Across the way was the Armstrong Air & Space Museum, a fitting location as Neil Armstrong was the first man to step foot on the very moon we were about to view.
We got comfortable and stared up into the sky. Because of the glasses, all was dark, except the sun, upon which we could now safely gaze. Slowly, the moon began to pass in front of the sun. It felt cooler, it got darker, and we watched as some dandelions responded by starting to close. Finally, the sun had been totally eclipsed by the moon, with only the sun’s corona showing around the edges. It’s at just this moment, when the moon is at the exact center, that you take off your glasses. The sky is now dark, and you see a beautiful sight!
But wait, there is more. Suddenly, in addition to the ring of light, you see a small bright spot as the sun begins to appear again. This is called the diamond ring effect. Having heard about this phenomenon, I was watching with anticipation and was blown away when we saw it happen. As a member of the Church, the Bride of Christ, I couldn’t help but be moved. This diamond ring appeared, and I saw it, a gift from Christ, by whom “all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible” (Col. 1:16).
My cousin in Tennessee, unable to view the eclipse, was watching media coverage. She texted me, “Someone needs to sit down [with these folks] and help them understand why [they] are so emotionally moved during these events. The revelation of God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, is powerful and demands a response.” I texted back that in our group, someone was playing, God Bless America, noting they should have stopped with just GOD. She responded that no one she saw interviewed mentioned God. “Not even a little hint.” Sure, these folks might have seen the sun and been amazed, but they have missed the Son.
What a blessing to have God’s clear, unclouded Word that we might know of the Son and His work on behalf of His bride. Luke gives us Zechariah’s prophecy concerning his son, John the Baptist:
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:76-79).
Whether man is taking one small step for himself, or taking a supposed leap for mankind, unless he knows the Son, he sits in darkness and in the shadow of death. The eclipse is permanent, and there is no light.
Let us pray the beautiful event the Lord provided this week will cause His Bride to marvel at His ways and will draw unbelievers to know the Lord of the Ring and be called “out of darkness into His marvelous light” (2 Peter 2:9).
