Partial Revelations

I don't usually post my poems on this blog. I usually post them at Zadokim. However, this poem is short and it leads into what I have to say so nicely!

I think it is very important to note that today was a total eclipse only in a very narrow swath of the Earth. The rest of us experienced a partial eclipse, though it was no less glorious... just different.

Something our society has forgotten is that differences do not mean there has to be a right and a wrong, a better or worse, a greater or lesser. But anyway...

Eclipse

When nine percent of the sun

Still brings daylight

And though the atmosphere changes

I bask.

I was surprised at how light it was today during the eclipse. I knew that it wouldn't be totally dark because we were not in the path of totality here in Arkansas, but I thought it might be like sunset... twilight or something!

Instead the sky dimmed a little and a nice cool breeze came. The temperature seemed to lower quite perceptibly, even moreso than the light. However, I was quite amazed at what nine percent of the sun could do. 

There is that old saying that if you go into a pitch dark basement and light a match, the light dispels the darkness. That in the expanse of the whole room, the light of a small flame will eclipse the darkness of the entire vicinity. 

Then there's that verse from John 1:5 "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not comprehend it." 

There are so many directions from which to see this right now that I can hardly decide which to start with. Normally, this verse and the aforementioned story are given to show the power of light over darkness. In these examples, the darkness doesn't stand a chance against the might of the light and right, and in any battle between light and dark, light will always win!

However, we are not in an age of battle anymore, so as with everything, these examples must be examined again. 

Firstly, darkness is not fighting the light. Darkness and light are the same. It's not a dichotomy; it's a spectrum, and all of it is Yahweh. If I learned anything today, I learned that there are varying degrees of light. Nine percent of the sun seems like such a small percentage, and yet I would venture to say that anyone driving during the eclipse didn't have their car's automatic lights come on. 

Instead of dichotomizing darkness and light, perhaps we should examine where we are on the spectrum. As with anything that is Yahweh all of it is good. In other words, there is a time and season for darkness and there is a time for one percent revelation and a time for nine percent revelation. There is a time for full revelation, too, except it's Yahweh so there's no end to the fullness. The only question is, am I where and when Yahweh has called me to be? Am I in teleios? In other words, am I experiencing the part of the revelation that He wants to show me right now? 

For there are things that you can see with only nine percent of the sun shining that you cannot see when the sun shines fully. Indeed, we had to filter out almost every ray possible to even look at the sun today. I have a whole pack of used eclipse glasses sitting in my classroom right now. Yet, if the sun were to set tonight and never rise again, we would be unable to go on as a planet. Plants would begin to die and then everyone else would begin to die. (Because plants make oxygen and we like breathing!) 

Revelation is like everything and must be perfect today in its time. 

And you're never without Him and all of Him. 

Psalm 139:7-12 says:

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall[a] on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

And Yahweh is all that there is!