Reflections of Light
based on John 1:1-18; 8:12
Rev. Randy L. Quinn
 

This week there was a full moon. But it was an unusually full moon. It was unusual because it fell on the shortest day of the year – or as some folks point out – it fell on the longest night of the year. But more than that, because of the nature of celestial orbits, on this particular week, during this particular full moon, the moon was closer to the earth than it has been in over 50 years.

I heard all about the scientific explanations before I went to look at it on Tuesday night. But what I saw was the same moon I’ve seen before. Except this time the moon looked somehow bigger and somehow brighter.

In fact, the next day I noticed the sun shining through the clouds and I thought that the moon had looked bigger than the sun did!

But as I was looking at the heavens, I couldn’t help but hear the scientific explanations in my mind – the sun is much, much larger than the moon, but because of the distance, it appears smaller. The gravitational pull of the sun has more effect on the earth than the moon does, but the moon’s pull is so variable that we see it’s effect on the tides in a way unlike the sun’s apparent effect. Then there are the mathematical explanations for the orbits that are not exactly circular and the explanations for how the moon always faces the earth the same way but not the sun so that there seem to be phases of the moon’s cycle as it reflects the sun’s light. . . . .

We don’t have much room for mystery anymore. We want answers and explanations.

And so we miss out on the beauty of a full moon in late December because we know the scientific explanation of what it is we see.

But tonight is not a time for explanation and analysis. It’s a time for story and poetry and song. Tonight we are invited to stand before the mystery of the Incarnation with awe and wonder.

That’s probably why I’m so reluctant to preach on Christmas Eve. I know how easy it is to slip out of the “awe and wonder” mode into the “explanation and analysis” mode of preaching.

That’s also why I often find myself turning to John’s Gospel at Christmas. . . . .