Eclipses are rare. Solar eclipses especially are even rarer. It is still even rarer that an eclipse crosses nearly the entire United States like this. It probably won’t happen like this again for your entire lifetime. In the age of digital consumption, very few things are once in a lifetime events. The solar eclipse will be something millions can experience for very cheap. It is a common experience that we can all share in, rich or poor, young or old, Democrat or Republican, scientist or man of faith. Everyone can appreciate this celestial event.
While this eclipse is certainly a rarity, that is not what makes it special. What makes this eclipse special is that everyone is uniting over it. We aren’t talking about petty politics, hate crimes, murder, foreign invasions, or anything that makes this world weary. We are talking about something fun. It is going to boost some economies maybe a save a few small businesses. Is there going to be insane traffic and other negatives? Yes, but that is not the story here. The story is we get to experience something together. People from all walks of life are going to do something together and appreciate something together.
Eclipses have always had the phenomenon of uniting people. In the Bible, solar eclipses were viewed as favorable conditions for Israel to go into battle because the Israelites’ calendar is based on the moon instead of the sun, like many of their contemporaries. Similarly, lunar eclipses were times to attack Israel or the start of important festivals. Regardless of religious or cultural affiliation and interpretation of the eclipse, they united people in fear or courage.
Cast that onto the eclipse that occurred during the Crucifixion of Jesus. What you can see is that God is using an eclipse to bring unity. God wasn’t just bringing unity between the people of the earth, He was bringing unity between us and Himself. God allows us to have makers of times so that we can know that God exists. Here is a link to an interesting explanation of the astronomical events surrounding the Crucifixion. Start the video at about 49 minutes to skip to the part about the Crucifixion.
Eclipses are important because they unite us. In this country and this time, we need some unity. Praise Be to the Lord God Almighty for setting this eclipse into motion, so that we could at least break from our disunity for a day to enjoy the wonders of the universe you created, together.