Totality

Rare are the moments of true unity in our world; times when the seemingly incessant hostility steps back and our shared humanity steps forward. On April 8th, those of us who were lucky enough to be in the path of the recent total solar eclipse shared one such rare moment of unity. Divisions fell away as we collectively focused our attention on the light of the sun and the movement of the moon.  

Friends from far and near gathered on our front lawn in Northeast Ohio to connect with one another and the cosmos. The sun was warm that afternoon as we kicked off our shoes to feel the earth beneath our feet and put on protective eyewear to watch the heavens far above. Our friend’s son even brought an incredible camera that was calibrated to move with the rotation of the earth and stay focused on the sun's light at the center of the lens at all times. Amazing!

In all the hoopla leading up to the eclipse, my cynical side feared that this “once in a lifetime” event might be a whole lot of overblown hype as can so often be the case. How wrong I was! In that incredible moment when the moon actually eclipsed the sun at 3:15 that afternoon, I was ill-prepared for how profoundly sacred the experience would feel. 

Those precious 3 minutes and 40 seconds of Totality were thin space where it felt as though heaven and earth were One. We stood on sacred ground bathed in an ethereal light like nothing I have ever seen. The earth grew cool beneath my feet, children across the street squealed with delight, and I wept with wonder. In that liminal moment, we inhaled deeply and were united.

Might we be able to create more of these precious moments of unity by calibrating our hearts to stay focused on the sacred light at the center of each and every one of us? In so doing, we might learn how to disagree without being disagreeable, to be angry without being insulting, and to fight for the causes we believe in without resorting to violence. 

We embody the unified spirit of Totality when we recognize God’s light and love in ourselves, our neighbors and yes, even our enemies. If we could find the will to stay centered on God's light, then maybe Totality wouldn’t be a once in a lifetime experience, but rather the sacred light that unites us each and every day. 

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth..." Genesis 1:1

Photo Credit: Taken by Taylor Throckmorton from our front yard on April 8, 2024.