The Rising Sun

          And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace. (Luke 1:76-78)

          “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” C. S. Lewis

           Another prophecy about Christ’s coming, made to John the Baptist by his father. It brought to mind the quote by C. S. Lewis. Once upon a time, there was another, whose name in Hebrew means “shining one, light-bearer.” It was his job to enlighten others. Instead, he withdrew light from others, cast them into shadows, and guided them into a path of war with God. His name is Lucifer.

          In this prophecy sung by Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist, he tells his only begotten, miraculous baby boy that he would go on before the rising sun, like Venus, the morning star. He would cast a light that would herald the greater light, and guide, but not as the One who came after him would guide. Jesus, the rising sun, would outshine all others. He would come to shine on us, and to guide our feet into the path of peace, the path back to God.

            This time of year, some people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. It gets dark too early and stays dark too long and puts a damper on the spirits of some. I don’t know that this is a problem for me, but at some point, I bought a special lamp that is supposed to simulate sunlight. I don’t know whether it works on not, but I can tell you that it doesn’t have as strong an effect as the real sun.

            What a difference there is between when the sun is up, and when just the lesser lights are visible. It’s like day and night. Last night, it got cold. Today, the sun will probably heat the motorhome to the point where I have to have the windows open. Last night, I walked around using a flashlight. In a few minutes when I leave to run some errands, I’ll have to put on my sunglasses. It seems banal because of our familiarity with the cycle, but its role in our lives cannot be overstated.

           In 1883, Krakatoa erupted. According to one of the eye-witness accounts, they spent days in darkness. The following summer, it snowed in July in New England. Some think that masterpieces painted even a few years later, with their deep sunsets and smoky skies might have been the result of the artist looking at a sky that was filtered through volcanic ash. Some have even suggested that Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” might have been what he saw through the ash haze. There’s no way to know if that’s true, but light and what light is filtered through are both important to us.

            The lesser lights do not eliminate the darkness. Only the rising sun can do that.