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It was spectacular; or so they say if you were in the right place, at the right time —west coast, 5 to 6 a.m. PST, on January 31st 2018. How could I be so mired in the mundane as to not know that it had been 152 years (1866) since the last Super Blue Blood Moon appeared in the pre-dawn sky! A friend did mention the words super and blue and blood and moon in the same sentence the evening before. As we walked out my front door around 9 p.m. on the 30th, the moon stared at us full-face, beautiful and bright. By the time the news was on in the morning, and the weather channel was exclaiming, it was too late. Once the sun rises, the spectacle disappears.
What is a Super Blue Blood Moon? According to the NASA website and space.com, a super moon is orbiting closer to the earth; hence about 14% brighter, but not all that rare—you can expect to see another January 21st 2019. A blue moon is the second full moon of the month and occurs maybe every 2.7 years. Once in a blue moon is not really apt then, is it? And a blood moon comes during a total lunar eclipse when the moon is in the shadow of the earth, taking on a reddish tint, next one in 2037. Combine super and blue and blood and you have a lunar or cosmic trifecta.
All creation is amazing to me, not to mention the regular and/or rare eclipses. Think of the first day of creation: God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3, NIV), and total darkness was eclipsed by—light! Then on the fourth day He said “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky”, and He set the sun and the moon and the stars in that expanse to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night (Genesis 1:17-18, NIV). The entrance of light into darkness is such a God thing.
And so when the light of day or of night is abnormally overshadowed during an eclipse, we take note. According to space.com, Joshua 10:12-13 is possibly the first record of a solar eclipse if you translate “the moon stood still and the sun stopped” from its Babylonian root. There has been a frantic search to corroborate such, to no avail. Amos 8:9 (NIV) is certainly considered to speak of an eclipse: “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.”
In my kitchen I have a photo of the last total solar eclipse, taken in 1979 by a friend who had traveled to the perfect viewing site. The corona, or outer atmosphere of the sun, resembles a jagged fringe of pearly-white light around the blackness—even in totality.
Where were you during the eclipse of the summer of 2017? Our travels had taken us to Vail Colorado. Although far from totality, we were promised a partial on such a beautiful, blue-sky day. Glasses suitable for safe viewing were in short supply. Fortunately the resort had garnered a few, and those with were more than willing to share with those without. An eclipse party had formed on the pool deck.
When our turn came for the glasses, my eyes popped in amazement. Although the sky was blue and sunlight seemingly abundant, the orb of the sun was obscured except for a small scallop on the lower right corner. Such a tiny amount of sun, so little change in the light. Yes, the glare had disappeared; a gentle breeze that had not been evident before ruffled the air; and an eerie quietness had settled in—not a bird made a peep. The persistence and power of the sun was notable. Why am I so surprised?
Have you ever been in total darkness? November 9th 1965, Toronto Canada, 5:16p.m., I was on my way home in a friend’s car instead of on the streetcar, thank goodness. Not far from the office we realized the stoplights were not working. At the first intersection a good Samaritan had sprung into action, directing traffic; same at the next and the next. The Great Northeast Blackout had begun, thirteen hours of dark for 30 million people in Ontario and Quebec, upstate New York, and New England.
At my apartment I headed for the stairwell. As the door shut behind me I halted. It was black as black could be. But I had no recourse—4th floor and counting, which is exactly what one had to do, staying aware of the turns per floor. In this day and age you would not be dismayed as you quickly flipped on your phone. Light, even a small ray of light, wins over darkness every time.
Spiritual darkness in this world of ours seems to be rapidly overtaking the light, as we approximate the decadence of Corinth in Paul’s day: the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4, NIV). The god of this age casts a big shadow.
Spiritual light has always been of the essence. John frankly stated the need for He who first spoke light into existence to bring life and light into the darkness: The Word, who was with God and was God (John 1:1, NIV), in him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it (1:4-5).
Jesus Himself said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12, NIV). We who follow Jesus have the light before us at all times; those who do not follow do not. They do not see it, nor understand their need for it.
“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” said Jesus (John 9:21). Ah, but the darkness of crucifixion came. Soon the apostles would be reminded: “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, NIV). The lamp had been passed to them.
One of my fun childhood memories is that of gathering with a Sunday School teacher in a back stairwell in the little church my grandmother attended. As we sang This Little Light of Mine, pointer fingers in the air imitating candles, the teacher’s flashlight was lit. When we got to “Hide it under a bushel?” we cupped our pretend lights and she turned her light off. When we shouted “NO!”, we popped our cupped hands off and the flashlight came back on. In the total darkness of this stairwell the effect was dramatic.
The real question is, is my light shining into the darkness of my world today so you can see God? “Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God” (John 3:21, NIV). Even a little bit of persistent light will not be eclipsed by the darkness. Add all our lights together, and no telling who will see God’s glory.
Join me: “This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine.”
Nancy Paul
Nancy Paul is Canadian born and bred but happily settled in Texas. She is married, mother of two, and grandmother of three busy boys. A long time Womenary student, she loves to read, is a lover of God's word and a wannabe writer. Nancy is a regular contributor to encouraging.com, a collection of blog articles regularly published by the women of Green Acres Baptist Church of Tyler. As well, she is the women's Bible study coordinator at GABC. 
