Eclipsed By Glory

I’ve been listening to Christian contemporary music for many years and the song I’m about to reference was released in 2010. I can’t say how many times I’ve heard it, but I can sing along as if I’ve heard it all my life. But the other day, as I was singing along to “Oh, How He Loves Us” by the David Crowder Band, I heard this line for the first time. “When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory.” Eclipse…that’s a term we’re hearing a lot, as we prepare for the total solar eclipse happening this month.  

What happens during a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and earth, casting a shadow over parts of earth and blocking the face of the sun for observers in those locations. NASA urges viewers not to look directly at the sun during this event due to the damage it could cause to your eyes. During the partial eclipse we witnessed several months ago, there were several crescent-shaped shadows all over…it was pretty cool. 

So, an eclipse blocks the light of the sun. In the song’s lyrics, it says ‘I’m unaware of my afflictions eclipsed by glory.’ The picture I get is that we can get so wrapped up in all that is wrong in our lives, we find ourselves in the dark, seemingly without light. But the light in our lives is NEVER not there, it is just eclipsed by the weight of our iniquity. But what if, all of a sudden, you become unaware of your troubles because the glory of God eclipses all of it and all you can see is Him and His love for you? Now that’s an event I want to see! 

There are special glasses you can buy to watch the eclipse; there are even DIY versions you can make at home. But the kind of eclipse I’m talking about doesn’t require any eye protection…in fact, it’s most affective when you look directly to the Son.