Celestially Captivated
The Peek Perspective on the Eclipse Effect
It was an otherworldly experience…did you feel it too?
Yes, I’m talking about the Great American Eclipse that occurred this week. The internet can’t stop talking about it, and for good reason…But one of the aspects that captivated me most has nothing to do with the moon or the sun.
My family and I drove over 2 hours to view the 2.5 minutes of totality in north Texas. No, we aren’t conspiracy theorists who thought the world would end that day, nor did we agree with the infamous statement made by a notorious congresswoman that this eclipse is a “sign from God that America needs to repent its sins.” (Perhaps there’s much repenting that is warranted around here, but not on account of a natural phenomenon like a solar eclipse…)
We did no doomsday prepping, nor did we theorize that any one group of people would receive any power from the celestial energy of this event.
We do stand in awe of our Creator, who breathed the galaxy into existence, and we also have an appreciation for science. Science is a tangible example of the wonders and intricacies of God’s creations. For us, it’s not faith vs. science. We don’t fit into the either/or box very well around here…
So, because we were fascinated with this once-in-a-childhood event for our children to see (and okay, for us too…), we wanted to be in the path of totality - where the moon perfectly aligned with the sun, and for a moment gave us a glimpse of an other-worldly view.
As we stood in a park where hundreds of other eclipse-seekers awaited the great event, a thought struck me. When else do people gather, from all corners of the country, from all different backgrounds and beliefs, to stand in awe and wonder of this wild and precious life?
No one was asking anyone else their political affiliations, campaigning for any cause, or challenging anyone else’s beliefs. No one was walking around, making sure their neighbors’ eclipse glasses were ISO 12312-2 compliant. No one was questioning anyone else’s reason for being there.
There was music, picnics under shade trees, snow cones, and food trucks. People simply laid on blankets in the grass or lounged in lawn chairs, just enjoying the day outside. Occasionally, someone would put on their solar glasses and excitedly point out the progress of the eclipse as it slowly neared totality. Others would follow suit, happily getting a chance to share in this excitement.
The only other situation I’ve been in where strangers from every background, otherwise going about their day, have stopped everything in a single moment to experience the wonder before them was while vacationing on Santorini, the iconic Greek island where the sunsets rival any in the world. It didn’t matter if we were dining at a busy sidewalk cafe in Firostefani or strolling along a crowded cobblestone street in Oia; when the sun began to set, everyone - wait staff, patrons, passers-by - stopped everything they were doing and stood in captivation of the glorious sunset. There was rarely talking, as a hush fell over the crowds (well, except for the clicking of cameras…)
Monday afternoon in Texas felt a bit like those magical days of chasing the sunset on Santorini. People had come from all over, for one purpose - to be captivated.
The sky darkened, the outside temperature dropped, and a hush fell over the crowd. Suddenly in the stillness, as if on cue, roosters began crowing and animals began howling in the distance. It was like all of nature came alive, audibly worshipping the Creator.
We literally had stars in our eyes as we slowly lowered our glasses to take in the most surreal sight: the full face of the moon above, with a gleaming halo around it. Stars twinkled in the middle of the day (actually planets, I’ve been told.) It was like a sacred curtain had been pulled back, and we glimpsed an other-worldly view.
For those 2.5 minutes, all of humanity and nature around us was absolutely captivated… And it felt like a deep breath in the midst of an otherwise divided world.
It was an otherworldly experience… did you feel it?
Perhaps the most astounding, surreal aspect of it all was the shared human experience by people all over the country, all gazing upwards together. No one elevating themselves above anyone else. No one demanding to be heard. No one being critical of their neighbor. No one advancing their own agenda. Everyone sharing in the wonder of it all.
I felt it. And I wish I could simply bottle up that feeling and sip it on a normal day in this otherwise chaotic world.
Let’s do it again, shall we? Next Monday, same time/same place…say around 1:40pm?! If we all spent more time gazing upwards, side by side, our days would be full of more wonder and less division.
Do we really have to wait for a Santorini sunset or a full solar eclipse to share in a moment like this…?
Starstruck,
Dr. Peek