Last night the Lyrid meteor shower was expected to peak around 10:30 p.m. A little after 10 p.m., I headed out of my cell to see if I could spot any shooting stars. As I was closing the gate to the garden of my cell, I looked up and saw a meteor streaking across the sky. Given the narrow bit of sky that's in range of sight from that path between the rows of monastic cells, I figured something like, "Wow, if I saw one right away, in that small bit of sky, maybe there are a lot of them."
I continued and went off the path, and in the direction of the driveway. After a couple hundred feet, I stopped and looked up. The sky was quite clear. As I was standing there facing the firmament, I considered that we're tiny human beings, on only one planet, orbiting a relatively small star amidst hundreds of billions of stars in our galaxy, amongst hundreds of billions of galaxies. Recalling our insignificance, the challenges we face are brought into perspective.
Witnessing the unfathomably large expanse above, I witnessed a meteor racing through the darkness. As is the case the vast majority of the time, it streaked out and disappeared. However, it called to mind a previous instance when I was watching a meteor shower and a dot suddenly appeared, not moving, but getting much brighter, and then suddenly winking out. Back then I realized that what I had seen was a meteor heading right at me.
Recalling that memory of merciful deliverance from utter annihilation, once again I received several nourishing reminders. Whatever we are presently enduring, it could be worse. Right now the coronavirus threatens our physical health, is killing some of us, putting others of us in intensive care units, depriving us of financial income, and restricting us from traveling. Yet, thanks be to God, a giant meteor has not hurtled into our atmosphere and wreaked widespread carnage. Earlier this year there were multiple instances when very large meteors came relatively close to us but sped by with no physical impacts.
However, if we so choose, we can let these reminders of our littleness, fragility and precariousness have significant spiritual impacts upon us. We can welcome these messengers from the wider realm of the universe so that they may teach us humility. If they help us to be humble, then we can take a further step and turn toward God. If we meditate on these matters, we can come to find that, in the midst of what we currently see as misfortune, we have limitless reason to thank, adore and praise God. Amen.
I continued and went off the path, and in the direction of the driveway. After a couple hundred feet, I stopped and looked up. The sky was quite clear. As I was standing there facing the firmament, I considered that we're tiny human beings, on only one planet, orbiting a relatively small star amidst hundreds of billions of stars in our galaxy, amongst hundreds of billions of galaxies. Recalling our insignificance, the challenges we face are brought into perspective.
Witnessing the unfathomably large expanse above, I witnessed a meteor racing through the darkness. As is the case the vast majority of the time, it streaked out and disappeared. However, it called to mind a previous instance when I was watching a meteor shower and a dot suddenly appeared, not moving, but getting much brighter, and then suddenly winking out. Back then I realized that what I had seen was a meteor heading right at me.
Recalling that memory of merciful deliverance from utter annihilation, once again I received several nourishing reminders. Whatever we are presently enduring, it could be worse. Right now the coronavirus threatens our physical health, is killing some of us, putting others of us in intensive care units, depriving us of financial income, and restricting us from traveling. Yet, thanks be to God, a giant meteor has not hurtled into our atmosphere and wreaked widespread carnage. Earlier this year there were multiple instances when very large meteors came relatively close to us but sped by with no physical impacts.
However, if we so choose, we can let these reminders of our littleness, fragility and precariousness have significant spiritual impacts upon us. We can welcome these messengers from the wider realm of the universe so that they may teach us humility. If they help us to be humble, then we can take a further step and turn toward God. If we meditate on these matters, we can come to find that, in the midst of what we currently see as misfortune, we have limitless reason to thank, adore and praise God. Amen.
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