It’s a bit past the Ides of March, and having come out of a brutal illness, I’m counting down the last two weeks before my 69th birthday. As we count it in America, turning 69 means I have completed 69 years, and my birthday – at 8:20 p.m. – means I am now working on Day 1 of my 70th year.
Given the apocalyptic state of the world, my seventieth year promises to be a bumpy ride – from plagues to wars and rumors of war, earthquakes, floods, storms and what is likely the most painful presidential campaign since the one that touched off the Civil War. It’s crucial to keep reminding ourselves that God is in control and working on his own timetable. Our job is to hold on to faith and remember that there are no answers, no solutions, in candidates, political parties nor any agendas but trust.
By this weekend, we will see a penumbral lunar eclipse in time for Purim, the Jewish holiday resulting from the plot foiled by Queen Esther that promised deliverance. This full moon is a Blood Moon, for the moonlight filtered through the red end of the spectrum as seen on earth. In the Bible, the blood moons are an important sign. The party is just started, though, as the next weekend (my birthday weekend) features not only Easter, but also the most visible period for viewing the Devil’s Comet, a once-in-a-lifetime appearance hanging at the edge of sight right now. By March 31 it will be visible to the naked eye. Then on April 8, it’s a full total eclipse knifing across parts of the nation’s southern Gulf region, including Texas and Louisiana.
Not setting dates or anything, but Jesus warned us to keep watch when certain signs begin snowballing. Even uneducated farmers watch the skies for signs of the approaching storn. If ever you held yourself in readiness, this is the time.
Dawnsinger 