So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

—James 1:19-20

Growing up, anyone outside of my family would have said I was a very polite and quiet kid. However, when it came to my parents, especially my dad, I had a bad habit of talking back. We both wanted the last word, and I often didn’t know when to shut up. My grandmama gave me the best advice on how to deal with my father. She said, “Your daddy is just like his daddy. You just have to keep your mouth shut, and eventually, he will shut up. Then you can go about your day.” To this day, my father and I barely get along. I’ve never been the son he wanted, and he says I “annoy him.” Last time I was home at Christmas, he actually said, “I was dreading you coming home because you usually annoy me, but I haven’t been annoyed this time until now.” It was all because I said I would not watch Fox News. He took this as me saying he could not watch Fox News. I did not; I just meant I’d go elsewhere. However, when it comes to me, my father is a man who is slow to hear (if he does at all), swift to speak, and swift to wrath.

I know that I get my temper from my dad. It’s one of the reasons I never wanted children. I did not want to be the kind of father my father and grandfather were, and I knew I had their temper at times. Over the years, I have learned to control my temper, but most people who know me know that I can be pushed just so far before that temper comes out. I wish I could suppress my temper at all times, so I try to “be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” Do I always succeed? No, but I do try my best.

Following the verse above, James goes on to say in James 1:21-27:

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; or he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Too many Christians today are not “doers of the word.” Sadly, they hear what they want to hear and ignore the parts of the Bible they disagree with. They rely on bad translations and put forward a belief that is an anathema to Christ’s teachings. I have always believed that we should live by example, meaning to guide others through your behavior instead of your words. Your intention is to inspire others to copy your behavior. Luke 6:31 says, “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” The opposite of leading by example is to say one thing and do another, i.e., being a hypocrite. My father always lived by the saying “do as I say, not as I do,” but this is not how we are supposed to live.

We can study the Bible all we want, but if we fail to apply the lessons that God teaches us through His word, then we are only hearers and not doers. First Timothy 4:12 tells us, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” Could you, in good conscience, encourage someone to be to follow Christ’s teachings if you yourself are not? We must live in such a way that we are beyond reproach. Titus 2:6–8 says, “Likewise, exhort [encourage’ the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.” Live by example, then those who are not following the Word of God cannot fault you. They may try, but you have to remember what is important. It is how God will judge you, not how man will judge you.

In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus says, “7 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye;’ and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Jesus is telling us that we cannot criticize or judge others for things we ourselves do not follow. 

When it comes to living by example, there’s no one who’s ever done it better than Jesus Himself. He is the ultimate example, because He built His entire ministry around living by example. At the end of the day, if we have not modelled our behavior to other people on that of Christ, then we are failing to follow Christ’s example. To do that, we need to practice humility and selflessness above all. Hebrews 10:24 says, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.” Living by example isn’t always easy. If it were, then we wouldn’t need to rely on God’s strength to do it. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” If you’re at that point in your life where you’re discouraged and unsure if you can press on and continue living by example, remember that God will strengthen us, help us, and support us.

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

—Ephesians 4:32

To be kind, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, means to have a sympathetic or helpful nature. It also indicates gentleness, compassion and affection. Kindness is different than niceness. It goes deeper – it’s a genuine reflection of the heart. Niceness can be helpful, but kindness is a result of a heart in the right place. Mark Twain was once said, “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”

We are surrounded by God’s kindness every day. Evidence of his kindness shows in our lives, in the Bible and in his character. Jesus set the ultimate example of kindness with his life. Following his example can be difficult, but God calls and equips believers to be kind. With this understanding of how important kindness is to God and in how we interact with the world,

The kindness of God is our starting place for a holistic view of kindness. He made us for community with himself and other people. For any community to thrive, there must be kindness. From God’s loving kindness, we start to understand how securely loved we are by God, and in that security, we can reach out to those we come across who need a reminder of kindness in their lives.

We know God calls Christians to be kind, but sometimes we struggle with knowing what that kindness looks like in everyday life. Where are we supposed to direct our kindness? And to whom? The short answer is to be kind to everyone. Galatians 6:10 says, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all.”

If we all did a small act of kindness each day, the world would be a better place. It doesn’t take much to be kind. It can be as simple as holding open a door for someone or picking up something they’ve dropped. Maybe the person behind you in line at the grocery store as significantly fewer groceries than you, and you let them ahead of you in line. The simplest form of kindness is to smile at someone.

Love and encourage people. And always be open to listen. You never know what people are going through and sometimes the people with the biggest smiles are struggling the most, so be kind. That’s why it’s so important to lead with kindness as often as we can. You may never know how much a small act of kindness will affect someone.

P.S. Steve Davis, one of my frequent reader and commenters, reminded me that today is Pentecost,* and I wanted to add a few words about how kindness is an appropriate virtue to celebrate the holiday. Pentecost is described in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Acts 2:4 says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” I’ve never fully understood “speaking in tongues” in the modern sense in Holiness and Pentecostal Christianity. What is often described as speaking in tongues never seemed to be a universal language that everyone could understand as described in Acts 2:4. However, I believe what Mark Twain said, “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” Kindness is a universal language that everyone can speak and understand, and maybe that is what the Holy Spirit filled the Apostles with on Pentecost.

* Pentecost was never a holiday we observed in the Church of Christ when I was growing up so it did not occur to me to write a post about Pentecost.

Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you.”

—Isaiah 49:15

What the Bible is saying in this passage is: that while a mother can forget the love she has for her child, God never will. The design of this passage is apparent. It is to show that the love which God has for his people is stronger than that which is produced by the most tender ties created by any natural relation. The love of a mother for her infant child is one of the strongest attachments in nature. The question here implies that it was unusual for a mother to be unmindful of that tie and to forsake the child that she should nourish and love. With that being said, in the passage above, Isaiah was asking a theoretical question when he said, “Can a woman forget her nursing child?” This passage praises mothers as symbols of amazing compassion, never forgetting their beloved children.

Mothers are not perfect. Mine sure isn’t. Every mother is flawed, just as we are all flawed. However, no matter how flawed we may be, God’s love for us is unchanging and unchangeable. He gives us generous grace and great compassion for all time and throughout eternity. While my mother and I may have our disagreements, we have a strong bond, though not nearly as strong as it once was before I came out, it is still there. She is my comfort, even when she is not comforting. That may sound odd, but when I was young, my mother often sang to us. Sometimes it was silly little songs like “Fishy in a Bowl,” “Do Lord,” or “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby,” though she had her own versions of each one. However, the one I remember most is “You Are My Sunshine.” Even today, when I am sad and lonely or having anxiety or even a full-on panic attack, I can remember my mother singing ‘You Are My Sunshine,” and I am comforted. Part of it has to do with the rhythm of the song helping to slow my rapidly beating heart, but it’s also because I remember the good times when my mother would sing this to me.

I want to leave you with a different verse because while we may see things very differently, my mother does still love me. I firmly believe that she always will. She can’t help but love me. (Who couldn’t? I’m quite lovable. LOL)

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

—1 Corinthians 13:4-7

And now abide faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

—1 Corinthians 13:13

Alabama, especially its Supreme Court, has been trying to impose their twisted version of Christianity on its citizens. Their version of Christianity involves hatred and control as do far too many Christian churches today. Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Parker recently appeared on a QAnon podcast to promote so-called Seven Mountains dominionism, which calls for Christians to control every aspect of government, education, media, religion, family, business, and entertainment. I believe if Jesus was to return and see these so called Seven Mountains, he would be appalled. I think the “Seven Mountains” Jesus would have taught are seven virtues that would bring about a better world than Christian control of every aspect of our lives. Jesus would and did teach what Christian theology refers to as the seven heavenly virtues combine the four cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude with the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Let’s take a look at these seven virtues.

Prudence

Prudence is the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason. Prudence was considered by the ancient Greeks and later by Christian philosophers, most notably Thomas Aquinas, as the cause, measure, and form of all virtues. It is considered to be the auriga virtutum or the charioteer of the virtues. It is mentioned in the fifth of the Principal Doctrines of Epicurus, and in his Letter to Menoeceus, where he says: “Prudence is the foundation of all these things and is the greatest good. Thus, it is more valuable than philosophy and is the source of every other excellence.” Most examples of prudence in the Bible are in the Book of Proverbs. Proverbs 10:19 says, “Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.” When we are tempted to speak many words and give a lot of opinions without talking immediately, we are not prudent. Prudence is being slow to speak and process through before sharing. I can think of a particular bombastic politician who has never practiced this type of prudence. Actually, I can think of several. Proverbs 12:16 says, “Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.” Proverbs 14:15 says, “The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.” In this proverb, prudence means that we do not believe everything that we hear. We are wise and test every spirit and every word.

Justice

Biblical justice is rooted in the very character of God and is characterized by generosity, equality, advocacy, responsibility. Amos 5:24 says, “But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” In his speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. used this verse to suggest through that unless America makes justice and righteousness a reality it will be destroyed. The former and disgraced president Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to grant him immunity from the crimes he’s committed. If the Court turns its back on justice, the United States will be doomed. Isaiah 1:17 says, “Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.” Justice is most importantly about equality. If we are not all equal before the law, if we do not help the unfortunate, then there is no justice in this world.

Temperance

Temperance in its modern use is defined as moderation or voluntary self-restraint. It is typically described in terms of what a person voluntarily refrains from doing. This includes restraint from revenge by practicing mercy and forgiveness, restraint from arrogance by practicing humility and modesty, restraint from excesses such as extravagant luxury or splurging, restraint from overindulgence in food and drink, and restraint from rage or craving by practicing calmness and equanimity. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, temperance. Against such there is no law.”

Fortitude (Courage)

The classical virtue of fortitude (andreia, fortitudo) is also translated as “courage”, but includes the aspects of perseverance and patience. Fortitude and courage are distinguishable in that fortitude is the mental or emotional strength that enables courage in the face of adversity. Paul would elsewhere write that believers should “stand firm in the faith” (1 Corinthians 16:13) and “be strong in the Lord” so that we “may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:10, 13). Similarly, the writer of Hebrews encourages his readers to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrew 10:23). As believers, we are called to “stand firm,” “be strong,” and “hold fast” because of the hostility of this world, the temptations of the flesh, and the spiritual attacks of Satan. In other words, this requires fortitude.

Faith, Hope, and Charity

Faith, hope, and charity are familiar terms often spoken of together, and nearly always in the same order. Paul indicates that the order has significance, charity being the last and also the greatest of the three. In 1 Corinthians 13:13 Paul writes, “And now abide faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” Some translations of the Bible replace “charity” with “love.” Faith is the total acceptance of an idea. It is fully integrated into the way we think, feel, and live. Getting faith is difficult for many, but once one has it, using it and living with it is easy. It becomes part of what one is, and one would have to make a conscious decision to deviate from it.

In the Bible, “hope” doesn’t have the modern definition of wishing, but it has the sense of reasonable expectation. Hope is the acceptance of an idea accompanied by the realization that it might possibly be wrong. Having hope is easier than faith. It is often based on our own efforts and our confidence in others and the world around us.

 Charity or love should be given freely. If we can help one another than it is our responsibility to do so. Love is the most difficult way to think, feel, and behave. It requires definite effort to maintain, especially knowing that most of what we do because of it will be useless. Love is “the greatest,” because it is the most difficult for us to practice, and because its very existence depends upon our already having hope and faith.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

—John 14:1-6

 “‘Yo soy el camino, la verdad y la vida,’ Juan, catorce seis.” When I took Spanish in high school, we had to memorize a Bible verse in Spanish every week. The first one we learned, and the only one I can still remember, is John 14:6. This verse has always stuck with me, not just because it was the first one I leaned in Spanish class, but also because of the message. Sometimes, in life, it’s no doubt that we get lost. We are not going towards the right path anymore. We even tend to give up in finding the right place. However, Jesus tells us that we shouldn’t let our hearts be troubled and just believe in Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life. We might not know where we are going but we must keep in mind that there’s Jesus who’s willing to guide us at any time of the day. We should have faith in Him, and we’ve got nothing to worry. He will bring us in the right place. With Him, everything is possible.

John 14:1-6 is meant to give us comfort and hope. This passage is part of a larger story of the Last Supper, and his disciples are greatly distressed that their Savior is going to leave them. They believe they will be lost without him. Jesus responds to the anxiety of his disciples by saying, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me” (14:1). Jesus calls them back to this fundamental relationship of trust and assures them that he is not abandoning them. Rather, he is returning to his Father, which is good news for them. In speaking of his ascension to the Father, Jesus assures his disciples that this is also their destination. There are many dwellings in his Father’s house, and he goes to prepare a place for them, so that they will be with him and dwell with him in his intimate relationship with the Father (14:2-3).

When Jesus says that they know the way to the place where he is going (14:4), Thomas, like most characters in the Gospel, takes Jesus quite literally. He wants directions, a road map to this place (14:5). Jesus responds by saying that he himself is the way: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (14:6).

When we get lost in life, which can be very hectic, stressful, and even disorienting, if we believe in Jesus, follow His teachings, we will never be lost. When we’re lost, Jesus can and will show us the way. He tells us to “believe in God, believe also in Me.” There are times we all feel lost and in despair, know that Jesus is the way through our troubles. 

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

—Matthew 7:13-14

I grew up in rural Alabama, and my house was surrounded by a pasture. There were a lot of pastures around where I lived, and I remember vividly the numerous ways to enter a pasture. If you were on foot, you could climb over or under the fence, but if you were in a vehicle you either had to cross a cattle gap or get out, open the gate, drive through and then get back out of the vehicle and close the gate. I always found it so tedious to have to get in and out of a vehicle to open and close the gates. It was a lot easier if there was a passenger, which I most often was, who could handle the gates when we’d come to them.

When I came across the picture above, it made me consider the symbolism of gates in the Bible. To me, I most often think of Matthew 7:13-14 when I think of gates. In this passage, which is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is speaking to a large crowd about how people are often more interested in appearing outwardly to be religious by practicing rituals that others could see. They were using the wide gate, which signifies a dependence on ourselves and obtaining our own self-righteousness through trying to do things outwardly to impress others, rather than a more personal relationship with God.

The wide gate in many ways represents our culture today, characterized by being self-absorbed and wanting to appear outwardly better than everyone else. Too many people latch onto individual and misinterpreted Bible verses to push forth their own hateful ways while also trying to appear pious. The wider gate is a popularity contest, and it causes people to latch onto politicians and news media that align with their own hateful beliefs and reinforce those beliefs by perverting the Word of God.

The narrow gate that Jesus was referring to is a personal relationship with God, not being outwardly pious by following religious rituals and sacraments to try and earn your way to heaven. It means not wasting time and energy trying to appear outwardly in a way to be accepted by the pious culture of many churches, but rather asking the God to live in you, to change your heart, and transform you into the person He made you to be. God sees the inward appearance of our heart, not our outward appearance to others. Even at the risk of being unpopular, we should follow the teachings of Jesus to live a life of giving help, hope, and happiness to others.

Narrow gates are also easier to defend because they use lesser material and can this concentrate the defense greater than the massive amount of material needed for larger gates. It takes less to defend a narrow gate because it limits the attack of the enemy. The wider gate allows an enemy to attack with a greater force that can weaken the defensive purposes of a gate. Wider gates need greater materials to defend against an enemy. The gates of the ancient cities are not as we imagine today’s gates, but massive gates made of stone, iron, brass, or wood frequently sheeted with metal. They were tall and wide. The gate of Herod’s “which is called Beautiful” (Acts 3:2) was made of brass and required twenty men to close it. These gates were opened during the day to allow the citizens to come and go, but were generally closed and barred at night as a safety measure to keep out enemy attacks. Whoever controlled the gates of the stronghold ruled the city.

Gates can be for good or evil. They can serve as protection or as a prison. Just as Heaven has gates, so does Hell. Therefore, gates can protect us from evil, or they can keep evil contained. We must shut our open gates against the enemy. If even one gate is open and unprotected, we fall prey to our enemies who seek to oppress us and gain a foothold. God warns us not to give the devil a place to spread evil. Gates of pride, rebellion, false beliefs, or wrong motives, allow evil to erect a fortress giving the enemy a place to establish his camp. We must keep watch over our gates. This means searching through our relationship with God and guarding the gates and doors to our soul and body.

When Jesus promised to build His Church, He said Matthew 16:18, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Understanding the biblical implications of “gates” helps us interpret Jesus’ words. Since a gate was a place where rulers met and counsel was given, Jesus was saying that all the evil plans of Satan himself would never defeat the Church. In Matthew 7:15-16, Jesus warns us to “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 

—2 Corinthians 1:3-4

I had a migraine last night, and it is still with me this morning. As it is Sunday, I was thinking about my weekly devotional. Did I even have the fortitude to write one this week? It made me think about what the Bible says about pain. The Bible speaks a lot about mental and metaphysical such as Revelation 21:4, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” The Bible discusses our grief and suffering many times and how it will one day end “In the Morning of Joy.”

However, other than the miracles Jesus performed healing the sick, not as much is said about physical pain and suffering. As I was searching for verses about physical pain, I came across 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, which says, God “comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” While this may not be specifically about physical pain, it did remind me of some of the purposes of this blog. When I first started this blog, it was meant to be “A blog about LGBTQ+ History, Art, Literature, Politics, Culture, and Whatever Else Comes to Mind. The Closet Professor is a fun (sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes very serious) approach to LGBTQ+ Culture” as the tagline says at the top of this blog, but as we do in life, it has taken a journey in a more varied direction.

One of those purposes was to be a place where LGBTQ+ Christians, especially those raised in the Church of Christ, could find a place of understanding and acceptance. Over the years, I have met some wonderful people who came across this blog while searching for what it means to be an LGBTQ+ Christian who wanted to keep their faith in the very conservative Church of Christ, and many of them told me that this blog helped them to understand their faith better and through it found personal acceptance. Some of those individuals became close friends of mine. 

Being a welcoming place for LGBTQ+ Christians is something I consider a mission of my Sunday devotionals, but this has not been my sole objective for this blog. I have also chosen to be open and honest about the trials, tribulations, and treatments for my migraines. I am not in the medical profession, but I have experienced nearly every possible medical treatment for migraines, from antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, beta blockers, calcium blockers, Botox injections, to newer CGRP treatments. I have taken a long list of preventative and abortive treatments for migraines.

In both of these instances, I have tried to give others an honest perspective and to let them know they are not alone. There are people out there who have suffered just like I have. I wanted this blog to be a place where others can hopefully find the same comfort with which I have been comforted by God. I may no longer attend church or formally pray, but I have kept a close relationship with God. I have an internal dialogue with God constantly. Yes, there are certainly times when I offer up a silent prayer for myself and others, because I follow Jesus’s instructions about prayer in Matthew 6:6-7, “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.”

For me, faith is a very personal journey. I will never deny being a devout Christian. I will continue to share my spiritual mission every Sunday, but in my everyday existence, I believe that the best way to show my faith is by living in a way that I hope is an example of a true believer in Christ’s teachings. 

So, with this blog, I attempt to provide comfort to others, whether that is through my personal journey as a faithful Christian, a sufferer of chronic migraines, or through stories of my mundane life, my love of poetry, or by giving examples of LGBTQ+ people and our allies throughout history (and, yes, also my appreciation for beautiful men). I’m not sure I’m successful in all those aspects, but I’ll continue to try to be a place of comfort and acceptance.

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

— Acts 2:20

A total eclipse of the sun, which will be visible in the skies from Texas to Maine tomorrow afternoon (April 8). Because most of Vermont will be in the “path of totality” (the area where a full eclipse can be viewed), people have been talking about this even for the past several years. Millions of people are expected to travel to see the spectacle, which also will attract scientists from across the country to study its unique effects. On a more spiritual side, many people are preparing to use the eclipse as a time of reflection and prayer, though many also see the celestial events as bad omens. Eclipses have inspired fear and awe among civilizations throughout history, from the Aztecs to the ancient Hindus. They’re also associated with some major religious events, including the darkness that accompanied Jesus’ crucifixion in Christianity and, in Islam, the passing of the Prophet Muhammad’s son, Ibrahim.

Today, I thought I’d reflect on what the Bible says about eclipses. Celestial darkness is mentioned in sections of the Bible depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ — Matthew 27, Mark 15 and Luke 23. Mark 15:33 reads: ” Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.” People have used astronomical events such as eclipses to emphasize the power of God over the cosmos. What we today see as an astronomical event, people previously interpreted as having life-and-death significance. 

In the Old Testament, prophets often describe eclipses or celestial phenomena as illustrations of a higher power at work when prophesizing. Isaiah 13:10 says, “For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be darkened in its going forth, and the moon will not cause its light to shine.” This verse is part of a prophesy that tells that Babylon will fall to the Medes (ancient Iranians). Ezekiel 32:7 says, “When I put out your light, I will cover the heavens, and make its stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.” This verse is a part of Ezekiel’s prophecies against Egypt and include two revelations from God regarding Egypt and its Pharaoh. In the book of Joel, a Jewish prophetic text, Joel 2:10; 2:31states, “The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble; the sun and moon grow dark, and the stars diminish their brightness…The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.” Also, Joel 3:15 says “The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness.” These verses come from passages about a call to national repentance in the face of God’s judgment and the coming judgment on the Kingdom of Judah’s enemies.

Do you see a theme in these verses that could be interpreted as an eclipse? Each one is spelling doom for one group or another as part of a judgement. They are used to illustrate the power of God. While I do not believe any rational person today would see the eclipse as a judgment from God for our “wicked ways.” Perspectives on eclipses vary widely, but some see celestial happenings as a warning of God’s imminent wrath; some have even claimed they bear political significance. In November 2022, some ultraconservative Christian pastors said the approaching blood moon lunar eclipse portended a surge of Republican midterm wins. That did not go quite as they planned, because I would not call the small Republican gains a “surge.” More recently, Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of iconic evangelist Billy Graham, has seen speculation among some that the combined paths over the United States of this year’s eclipse and the previous two solar eclipses appear to mimic the shapes of the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet — in other words, the beginning and the end. These views “eclipse” not only the meaning of God’s Word, but also ignores the scientific phenomenon that causes celestial events such as this.

Some people are equating the New Jersey earthquake on Friday to be related to the eclipse tomorrow. People always seem to try to interpret things as signs, but you probably know me well enough by now to know that I don’t approve of people using the Bible for their own agenda or by reading things into the Bible that are not there.  People always look for signs of something, and with the sky going completely dark, that something often spells doom for some people.

I believe that the only “message” the eclipse is giving us is that God created a beautiful, wonderful, and sometimes weird universe. There is a certain “cool factor” about a total solar eclipse, and I am hoping tomorrow will not be a cloudy day but a beautiful clear one in which we can see the Great Eclipse, with our eclipse glasses on, of course. If you are in the path of totality, I hope you will be able to witness this once in a century celestial phenomenon.

Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.

—Zechariah 9:9

The first recorded Palm Sunday dates back to the 4th century in Jerusalem. The ceremony wasn’t introduced to Western Christianity until about the 9th century. According to the gospels, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem and people welcomed him as their king thinking he’d release them from Roman oppression. Days later, he was crucified. When I think of Palm Sunday, I think of Jesus riding on a donkey and entering Jerusalem. While Jesus is the central character of the Palm Sunday story, the image of the young donkey that carried Jesus into the city makes me think about what the donkey symbolizes in our faith.

Palm Sunday commemorates the story of Jesus’s triumphal entry on the back of a young donkey into Jerusalem shortly before the Jewish holiday of Passover. According to the Gospels, people lined the streets to greet him, waving palm branches and shouting words of praise. Conquering kings typically rode in chariots or on the back of stallions, but Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey going against what people would expect from a king. The people of Judea would have been familiar with another king who rode on a donkey to prove his humility before God. When King David was very old, he wanted to establish his favored son Solomon as his successor. So he arranged for Solomon to ride on David’s own mule, in the company of Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet. 1 Kings 1:38-39 says, “So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and took him to Gihon. tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, and all the people said, ‘Long live King Solomon!’”

While in modern American culture, donkeys are often considered to be a stupid animal and are commonly the pun of many jokes. When people are made fun of, they are sometimes compared to a donkey as an insult. For the Jewish and Christian faiths, the donkey is a symbol of humility and peace, but it also represented the fulfillment of a prophecy from Zechariah 9:9. In Judaism, this passage from Zechariah is taken to refer to the Messiah, a spiritual king who would peacefully redeem Israel.

The donkey expresses the idea of peace and ordinariness, as well as God’s omnipotence who, if he wants to, makes something great of the most ordinary thing. In Christianity, the donkey becomes a symbol of Christ himself, given how the animal patiently suffers and bears others’ burdens. Horses, on the other hand, tend to be associated with royalty, power, and war.

The donkey in the stories about Jesus’s triumphal return to Jerusalem was tied up and had to be untied by the disciples. Why does Luke and Mark emphasize the word “untie” several times? There is a lesson we can learn from this. We are often tied, aren’t we? We are tied down by many things — by guilt, anxiety and concern. Some of us are tied down with the need to forgive, but we cannot bring ourselves to do it. Others are tied down to obsessions or addictions. We may be tied down to our smartphones and tablets, unable to put those devices down.

We need to let go and let God untie us from our fears and give us boldness to show love, peace, faith, or joy. We need to be untied from whatever weighs us down. Palm Sunday is not just a celebration of Christ as the King of Kings, but a celebration of Jesus as our liberator from dependencies and afflictions — a celebration of the role Jesus plays in our lives. We need to be free to experience Jesus in our lives. We are meant to ride with Jesus: to follow him on his journey into the very presence of God.

We cannot fully commit to God when we are tied. We must be released by Jesus like the disciples who untied the donkey. We must surrender our burdens and our weights to God, much like the owner who surrendered his donkey to the two disciples. By relinquishing our own burdens, we can help others in their time of need and worship God freely by living a life exemplified by Christ.