A Pinprick of Light

Like many others, I got caught up in solar eclipse fever on Wednesday evening.

After watching the early evening BBC news – much of which was dominated by the excitement of the eclipse across the UK, I decided I ought to join in.

Monic and I were staying at the Preston Temple for a few days, so naturally I reached for the most obvious piece of scientific equipment available to me – a colander!

Out into the evening sunshine I went, holding it over a sheet of paper, watching dozens of tiny crescent-shaped images appear.

Later, Monic and I walked up towards the temple and were surprised to find quite a crowd gathered outside.

It was fascinating, as there were all sorts of wonderful contraptions in operation. Cardboard boxes had been adapted into viewing devices. Pieces of paper were being held at unusual angles. Advice was being freely dispensed to anyone who looked remotely interested.

There was, however, a real shortage of actual eclipse glasses.

For a few minutes, the temple grounds seemed to have turned into an impromptu science fair.

Then I spotted my favourite method of the evening.

One dear friend took a safety pin and made a tiny pinprick through her temple recommend, using the little hole to catch an image of the eclipse.

As I looked more closely, I noticed the image of Jesus Christ on the recommend.

And in that small moment, something shifted for me. What had begun as something fun and light-hearted became a little more meaningful.

Thoughts Change…

Here we were, standing beside a temple decorated with images of the sun, moon and stars, watching one of those great heavenly bodies pass in front of another.

The thought came quietly: Is there a God? Is there a Creator?

Bruce C. Hafen once used a striking image when considering that kind of question:

“What are the odds that a tornado spinning through a junkyard would create a Boeing 747?”

Alma gave his own answer centuries earlier when he said to Korihor: “All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion.” – Alma 30:44

And perhaps that is part of what happened for me that evening.

The fun of the colanders, cardboard boxes and improvised contraptions gradually gave way to something quieter.

The Lord said:

“… Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Treasure these things up in your hearts and let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds.” Doctrine & Covenants 43:34

Standing there beside the temple, watching the movement of the sun and moon, that phrase seemed especially fitting.

Perhaps, in the very act of Creation, our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ anticipated moments just like this, when generation after generation will look up at the sun, moon and stars and catching a glimpse of the wonder behind it all.

For a few moments, the solemnities of eternity really did rest upon my mind.

I don’t pretend that an eclipse proves the existence of God.

But for me, it certainly points towards Him.

The more we learn about the universe — its order, its laws, its movement and the extraordinary conditions that make life possible — the more wonder there seems to be.

What began that evening with a colander, a few homemade contraptions and a safety pin ended with a quiet reminder.

Sometimes the heavens really do declare something.

And sometimes all it takes to notice is a tiny pinprick of light.

What has caused you recently to look up, pause, and wonder at the hand of God?