One Moment in Time

Wednesday, a friend and I talked about the upcoming solar eclipse. We live within the total-eclipse path that stretches across twelve states—from Salem, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina. Those outside that path will observe a partial eclipse; here in Kansas City it will be total. At 1:09 PM, on Monday, August 21, the sky here will darken to night for two minutes and thirty-four seconds.

As we spoke, Zoe shared her thoughts about the possibilities the eclipse offered. As I remember, she brought up what happened in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Friday, August 18, 2017. There chanting white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and white supremacists marched with candles raised high. The night-time scene was reminiscent of many Klan blitzkriegs that ended in the death of black men. This march resulted in three deaths and thirty-four injuries. Decades, centuries of hatred, fear of being replaced, and hunger for power led to this homegrown terrorist violence.

Zoe went on to say that the Virginia violence resulted from human action. Humans caused it. But humans will do nothing to cause this eclipse. It is a phenomenon of nature. She believes that the fact that all of us here in the United States will view a partial or a total eclipse that is a natural—not human—happening could unite us, if only for a minute or two.

For two minutes, she said, we as one will view a rarity not of our making. Within that occurrence, there is no white or black, no heterosexual or bisexual or gay or lesbian or transgender, no Jew or Christian or Muslim or atheist, no pro-choice or pro-life, no poor or rich, no homeless or mansion dweller, no leader or follower, no peacemaker or terror-maker.

There is only all of us observing wonder—all of us being part of an astounding natural experience. Nothing will divide us during that time. We all—as one—will have the same awe-inspiring experience.

When we ended our conversation, I continued to ponder. I’m not a philosopher nor a deep thinker, but I do want to follow Micah’s words in the Hebrew Testament: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (I don’t really use the word God any more as a personal being. I say “Holy Oneness of All Creation,” hoping to gather all of us into the word God.)

I thought of those white supremacists who marched in Charlottesville, those violent iconoclasts who fight for ISIS, and all those who seem to embrace hate at the deep center of themselves. In what way, could I act justly toward them? Here are the three things I can do right now from my home:

1.     During those two minutes and thirty-four seconds, as I gaze upward through my solar glasses, I’m going to send out into the Universe my deep desire that each of us—no matter our background—will begin to discover the depth of love that conquers fear and hatred, intolerance and rigidity. I am going to envision a world at peace—for however brief the moment.

2.     I’m going to remember daily and hourly that everything begins with one. One person gives peace to another. Tiny drops of water become One in the ocean of being. 

3.   I'm going to live that motto of the Southern Poverty Law Center: I will fight hate; teach tolerance; and seek justice as I live the rest of my life.

Peace.

(Zoe, if I misrepresent what you said, please leave a comment and correct my memory.)

Photograph from NASA.