“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…” (Heb. 1:3). “In Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body” (Col.2:9). “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12).
Dear Lord Jesus, folklore and fantasies abound about the meaning of a total solar eclipse. But apart from the fables and superstitions, many who experience the phenomenon of a full, or even partial eclipse of the sun, can become overtaken by fear, anxiety, and disorientation. That’s understandable, because we depend upon the sun for so much—a lot of which we take for granted.
10,000 times more so, how much “truer” is that about you, Jesus. You are the Son who created the sun. Your radiance is that of God himself—for you are fully God—“the exact representation of his being.” We depend on you for everything, for you were our Creator before you became our Redeemer. To experience an “eclipse of the Son” is to contradict our reason for being. You are the “light of the world” and the only resolution to every form of darkness.
So how can you get “eclipsed” in our lives, Jesus? Sometimes it’s as simple (tragic) as putting any number of things between us and you. The treasures of the world and the approval of mere people stand out as “moons” that can hide you, the Son. Other times hard providences, painful stories, or “darkness veils your lovely face”—as we sing in “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less.” That’s when we learn to trust in “your unchanging grace” and the “anchor” that holds us in the storm.
Jesus, from our own foolishness, the stratagems of the enemy, residual unbelief, bad theology, or whatever, please free us from every form of “Son-eclipse.” We want to see, know, and love you with everything we have and are. So Very Amen.