Aging Spiritually: Eclipse: Hope and Heaven
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
—
I enjoy regularly attending performances of the Atlanta Master Chorale. The March 12 concert ended with a transcendent performance of “The Ways of Stars,” a very unique piece by the young composer, Jake Runestad. It’s a musical interpretation of a solar eclipse, an experience of sight, sound, and imagination.
The performance was a mystical experience for me, a revelation of the spiritual in tangible, sensory aspects of sound, light, movement, and text. It was a way to describe the indescribable, eternal presence of God.
An eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly in front of the sun, coming between our human, earth-bound vision and the sun, blocking the light from our vision. But not all light is blocked. The corona still shines around the edges. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (John 1:5)
Since that concert, I have been pondering the idea of eclipse as a metaphor of spiritual light and darkness in our lives, a theme of the Gospel of John. The indescribable idea of heaven has often been conveyed through imaginative arts of music, poetry, and visual art. Use your imagination as we explore hope and heaven together.
First, watch the Atlanta Master Chorale performance of “The Ways of Stars.” Here’s the YouTube link: World Premiere: The Ways of Stars (Runestad) | Atlanta Master Chorale - YouTube , or access www.atlantamasterchorale.org , click Videos at the top of the page, then use Search to find “The Ways of Stars.” (If you do not have internet access, I apologize for my reflections on this performance. Please keep reading.) This performance was an overwhelmingly spiritual moment for me, yet it was like nothing I have ever experienced in church worship.
The life of God is light to all people. All exist in the light which shines upon all, around all, within all, through all. That life and light of God are hope for all. When we turn our backs to light, we see the shadows of our limited humanity. Shadows of fear and ego. Shadows of desire, greed, and power. If light is our hope, then shadows are our hopelessness.
Turning away from light, all we see is shadow. It becomes the norm, the way we see the world around us. Shadow is never enough. We are never satisfied with shadow, so we want more – more self-gratification, more wealth, more power.
Our hope is to live facing the light, not the shadow. This light is God, who is Life, Light, and Love (see Aging Spiritually, March 7). The shadow is there, but the shadow cannot completely block the light that shines upon us, around us, within us, and through us.
Our hope in this life is to turn away from the shadow, away from misusing our lives to gratify our desires, to accumulate wealth, and to attain power. This hope, our eternal hope, is life with God, who is the Light that overcomes our darkness. This hope, our eternal hope, is life in God’s presence which shines upon us, around us, within us, and through us.
This hope is called heaven, and it is not only some distant place or future time. Heaven is both now and forever, here today and for eternity. This hope is not defined or bound by the physical life of the body, but exists with us now and eternally beyond. We have heaven on earth and our eternal hope. The only way to describe it is through art and imagination.
Practice
Watch again the video of “The Ways of Stars.” Watch it when you have at least 20 minutes of silence to experience and ponder. Let the performance draw you into the ethereal experience. Experience what is transcendent through the physical elements of light, sound, and movement. At the conclusion, when the sound ends, let it soak into your soul for a minute. Wait for the applause.
Ponder questions of light and shadow in your life, of hope and heaven today:
What transcendent moments in your life have given you a glimpse of heaven?
In what ways do you experience heaven each day?
How do you experience hope in your life?
What is light for you? What is shadow for you?
Greg Smith
Legacy Ministry for Older Adults