Reflections from a Michigan Sunset

Psalm 19

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom
coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth."

About a week ago I was in Grand Rapids, Michigan on business, and, being one of those absolutely beautiful and somewhat rare late summer evenings - Becke and I drove down to Saugatuck, on the Western coast, which is only about 40 minutes from Grand Rapids, but a "whole world" away in atmosphere and environment. In a relatively short period of time you leave the traffic and congestion of a small Midwest city and find yourself in world of forest, sand dunes and an immense inland sea.

PILGRIMAGE

Becke had wonderful teenage summer memories of Saugatuck, so for her it was a kind of pilgrimage, and I just love to see sunsets. We've been blessed in our lives to have seen sunsets, and a few sunrises, over the water or over the mountains and hills in wonderful places throughout the world. Hawaii, Virgin Islands, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, Wales, Southern England, Chicago and Michigan!!

Every sunset and sunrise is different - even when seen from the same location. Everyday the atmosphere creates different shades of color, and the wind causes the clouds to form in infinitely different arrays of shapes and shadows.

I can understand why primitive man was driven to worship the sun. There is so much of divine revelation in it - so much power and energy that acts as much imagery that reminds us instinctively of our deep-rooted divine nature.

As Psalm 19 so beautiful expresses - the ways of God can be seen in creation. Not the ways of the "God" of theological debate - but the God that is the cause of the very life that is in us and around us. When I contemplate the "message" that I see in each sunset and sunrise - I can understand why all these different interpretations of Truth exist; All these different religions were revealed or created to help mankind struggle with trying to define the indefinable.

THE ONE AND ONLY

Wherever we are in the world, when we stand looking at the horizon in the east - we'll see the sunrise. Although, the way we might perceive it will most certainly be different, even at different times, it will still always be the same sun. Likewise, when we face the west, we'll see the same sun as it sets.

I don't mean to sound too simplistic to those who cling to their own exclusive brand of orthodox theology, but I can't help thinking that ultimately the sun is one - as God is one, and wherever or however we perceive the reality of such should not cause us to hate or even argue with each other. The Truth is one, and our chosen interpretation of it does not make it otherwise. Someone who sees the sunset in Wales might claim that the sun goes down quickly and that it barely casts any shadows on the mountains as it sets. While someone in Hawaii might say that sunsets last for hours and long shadows precede it across the landscape. It's still the same sun that is being observed. Only the perspective and understanding of the observer is different.

ALL-CONSUMING LIGHT AND LOVE

Divine revelations of every religion are expressed in terms of light - usually bright, all-consuming light. There is a common understanding that light always overcomes darkness - that darkness is not a positive existence - it has no existence of its own but exists only in the absence of light. That's a very important thing to consider for those who live in fear of spiritual darkness. When the bible speaks of perfect love casting out fear - it speaks of love against fear as being the equal of light against darkness - a little of one overcomes the other, no matter how overwhelming it might seem.

I love sunsets, and sunrises (but I don't see them as often!!) Because they make me think and reflect on things that really matter and help me realize that teenage memories of Saugatuck and sunsets are much more important than business meetings in Grand Rapids.

(Asato ma sad gamaya.
Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya.
Mrtyor ma amrtam gamaya.)

"Lead me from the unreal to the Real.
Lead me from darkness unto Light.
Lead me from death to Immortality"

- Brhadaranyaka Upanishad