Eclipse: How Inclusion Brought Together a Cosmic Celebration
Today, an eclipse is viewed as an astronomical event where the moon comes between the sun and the Earth. It is a time when there is an intense light, and you can only look at it directly if you have special glasses. Today we commemorate such events in a variety of different ways, some of them from traditions that were passed down from days of old.
Believe it or not, honoring the eclipse is not a new phenomenon. While we now have a scientific understanding of what happens and why if does…there were other explanations that still carry weight to this day. Across the globe, our ancestors both feared and honored the eclipse as a time to meditate and pray. The Ancient Norse believed that Loki’s Giant Wolves devoured the sun and then the moon during each eclipse. The Chinese believed it was a Dragon. Various Indigenous American tribes including the Inca all had their own different ideas of what was trying to devour the sun. Many ancient stories in Hindu traditions told about celestial demons that tried to devour the nectar of the gods, only to be beheaded. Regardless of what supposedly devoured the sun…this was a phenomenon to recognize.
Many people, recognize(d) it as a time to meditate, to pray, to sing and to make noise to drive away evil spirits. Though they split over whether praying during the eclipse is mandatory or not, both Shia and Sunni Muslims are encouraged to pray during the eclipse. In Hindu temples, a solar eclipse is known by its name Suryam Goya. Astrological health advice was shared for Hindu women, especially those who were pregnant, on the Times of India. Many Diné (Navajo) use the eclipse as a time of mourning, for they see the moon's passage over the sun as a time of death and rebirth. Certainly there are no shortages of bad omens associated with the eclipse.
In all of these events...the passing of this eclipse typically brought foreshadowing of events to come-- some of them not always good. Though cultures had different ideas of what was supposedly devouring the sun and causing the natural phenomena around them...they all agreed that their intensity was to be regarded with great care. The battles between the sun and the entities trying to take its light were terrible to behold, and those who dared to look directly at them risked going blind. Across different cultures, many similarities appeared. Many people chose to gather and to participate in rituals. They played instruments and banged drums to scare the demons away, they sang, they fired arrows lit with fire into the sky to relight the sun. Others chose to gather together or to sit in solace in prayer. This is typically done in a lot of cultures to this day.
One unique interpretation of this phenomenon actually stems from West African traditions. According to Melissa Petruzello, "The Batammaliba are an ancient people of northern Togo and Benin. According to their legend, human anger and fighting spread to the Sun and the Moon, who began to fight with each other and caused an eclipse. The legendary first mothers, Puka Puka and Kuiyecoke, urged the villagers to demonstrate peace to the Sun and Moon to convince them to stop their brawl. During an eclipse, Batammaliba people make amends for old feuds and peacefully come together to encourage peace between the celestial bodies."
This theme of nations coming together to broker peace, foster truth, justice, and liberty leads me to the story that I am about to tell you. This is a story that happened as of 2024. It is the story of people of different backgrounds coming together to broker peace and build community with one another. One person started it all by graciously asking if another would join her in watching the eclipse. What resulted was a memory that will be shared for years to come.
For those of you who are unaware, I actually work a very labor-intensive job…not in the field that I studied for…but everyone has to earn a living. Needless to say, I did not make the time to go anywhere to get glasses so I could view this spacial event. My priorities were elsewhere at the time...though I did want to see the eclipse. The grandeur of the phenomenon was not lost on me. But I did not make the time to do it.
So here I was, going to miss out on one of the biggest events of the season, when my fortune changed by the grace of God.
It started around noon when my neighbor and friend, Janith, sent me a text message asking me if I wanted to join her in watching the eclipse. She was blessed to have another pair of glasses on her that she was willing to let me use. I was so excited. I texted her back and let her know that I would love to join.
I spent the next couple of hours getting ready to meet her. Our initial plan was to enjoy the eclipse nearby a Tulip Field that was planted as a gift to the U.S. from the Netherlands. While I was getting ready to meet her though... my housemate Jamin and I started talking about what we were going to do. He asked if I had made any plans and I told him about the one that I just made with Janith. It was then that Jamin invited us to join him and his girlfriend, Jean, to his campus. His campus...Northeast University...rests in a tower with a rooftop deck that gives you an amazing view of the Washington D.C. skyline.
I texted Janith to see if she was okay with the idea and she agreed. We decided that we would join Jamin and Jean up on the rooftop deck. I packed a bag with a bunch of snacks that were already prepared. Then I met Janith at the entry of our apartment. We hugged when we saw each other. "I'm so grateful you invited me! I didn't have a pair of glasses. I was going to spend this event inside."
"Aww!" she exclaimed. "I'm glad that I offered. I had these extra pair of glasses and I didn't know what I was going to do with them. I figured I would text and see if you were available."
"Let's go ahead and meet up with Jamin! He and his girlfriend are waiting at the top of Arlington Tower."
"How far is that?" she asked.
"Not far." I pointed to the bag with all the goodies that I brought. "I brought snacks for the occasion. Come on! Let's go!"
It wasn't far at all. We walked a couple blocks and across a concrete bridge that was lined with chain-link fence and stretched across a highway. Within minutes we reached the foot of Arlington Tower. When we arrived, I let Jamin know that we were there and waiting for him. While we waited for him to come down and retrieve us, Janith and I took photos of the eclipse from the sidewalk. Below you will see a result.
Jamin came and escorted us through the building until we reached the top of Arlington Tower. The truth was that this building serves as the campus for Northeast University, one of many whose campus calls the D.C. and Arlington area home. This was most certainly not Jamin's first time being here. However, for Janith and I, this was going to be a whole new experience. The amazing thing is that up until this point...I never stopped to consider what it would be like to enter any of these buildings. It is not because I didn't have the imagination to do it. It was just something that I never pictured happening because I was not associated with the building. This moment definitely reminded me that I need to always keep my eyes and my mind open to the opportunities that are available to me. Life is happening and it is not good to let it just pass you by without considering what is in your orbit.
On a normal day, the top of Arlington Tower is an amazing sight. Students who get to attend this university not only get to enjoy the facilities, including coffee, but also can come up here and enjoy the rooftop deck. In the not so far distance, you can see key landmarks including the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument and the United States Congressional Building.
Now imagine how amazing it was to be here in this moment while at the same time celebrating the Eclipse. The view was more than anything that I could have hoped for given that I was not expecting to even be out and about during the event. From the top of Arlington Tower, I got to witness a view that was not obstructed by the buildings. The cloud coverage that appeared before us did not even hinder our vision. If anything, it only added to the breathtaking moments.
For the record, many people-- past and present-- chose to spend this time in solace and in prayer. To them I give all my heartfelt respect. This is definitely a moment that deserves some time to honor and respect our commitment to Source. However, as someone who chose to celebrate the eclipse and the wondrous fact that we get to witness this event before us...I did so with my friends. I took the advice from the ancients and today's leaders and chose not to prepare the food. Instead, I opted to go for some pre-made foods. The spread below was brought about courtesy of not only myself, but Jean (Jamin's girlfriend) and Jon (a mutual friend). Our assortment consisted of various sweet and salty snacks. Not only was there fresh fruit but also plantain chips, veggie straws, Brie, grapes, candied ginger, peanut crackers, among others. The foods themselves-- just like the people who came together to share-- came from many different corners of the world and…
There was even a cookie decorated with icing, the image reflecting the eclipse!
What made these moments though was the good company with whom I got to share this experience. Each one of us carried a unique story that made us different and added sparks of conversation to the group. When I look at this photo, I see the beauty, joy, and laughter. I see people who came from different parts of the world...who by history, fortune, and by destiny...were meant to share these moments together.
As I am looking back on this day, I cannot help but think about how grateful that I am for the fact that I got to celebrate this occasion with good company. What started as a regular day turned into a moment for me to embrace an opportunity to witness one of the most spectacular occasions with my friends. This is oftentimes how life unfolds before us. Sometimes we go about our daily lives and it seems that nothing is changing. We go through the rigor and patterns in our daily routine. Then...in the blink of an eye...life happens. A spark leads us down roads that we do not expect.
To think, this all started when Janith asked me if I wanted to borrow an extra pair of eclipse glasses and to watch it with her. Then I asked Jamin if he had any plans to see the eclipse. It then became a moment for an entire community to gather. Jean and Jon also brought along snacks. Prince brought along his coolness, his openness, his style, and a smile that can brighten any space that he walks in.
All of us brought along our stories and we recounted them as we witnessed the Eclipse. We told of our travels near and far, our fondness for food, our ambition, our desire to make a difference in the world. We also sighed and lamented over the state of the world and recognized that we were all essentially hoping and praying for the same thing: for truth, justice, and liberty. We critiqued the politics of our era and laughed together while doing it. Our seemingly disparate stories in that moment became one. In life, we have moments that just come together and they work out. That is not to say that there are not horrible moments going on for others elsewhere in the world. That is not to say that terrible things are not happening around us. That is not even to say that we-- in our individual lives--- all don't have things going on either.
Just this morning, I had been saying my prayers for myself and the world around me. We are all witnessing and encountering a world that is aching. There are people everywhere that are being harmed and we are all connected to it. In many ways, we were never separated. We can choose to walk through this world as if we are completely separate from one another, never meant to connect. That would be one way of living. But then we will completely miss out on the opportunity to truly witness the world both above and around us.
Our stories were meant to be encountered.
These are the moments that we are going to look back on and remember. This is what it means to belong and to build community. When we come together...amazing things can happen. What could have been a day where we chose to stay in our own bubbles turned into something extraordinary. Together, we built an entire experience that we can look back on and fondly bring up in our memories. We did not need millions of dollars to do it. Instead, we just had to lean in and take the opportunity to bring each other along. If either of us had decided we weren't going to do it...we would have missed out on an opportunity to make something special.
To think...this all started when one person...Janith...asked me if I wanted to borrow a pair of eclipse glasses and join her in watching the Eclipse.
Janith chose to include me...
Then I chose to ask Jamin what he was doing...
Afterward Jamin chose to bring the two of us together with him and Jean....
Finally, we brought in Jon and Prince...
The result was a spontaneous and wholesome celebration.
None of it would have happened if we chose to isolate or stick to ourselves.
On this day, I am reminded of the power of one person. Even as the world seems to hurdle to another disaster...I pray that we use this eclipse not only as a time of reflection but also as action. Even when it seems our struggles are weighing us down...we can choose to use our challenges as opportunities to come together as a community and push forward. Today, despite the tragedies and the struggles we and the whole world are facing, we came together as a group of friends to witness this iconic event.
Tomorrow, we will go into the world and we will be going back to our daily lives. But just as the eclipse is a time for renewal, we too can go forth with fresh perspectives. Life goes on...and it must be lived. Sometimes the best place to start in making a difference is in our own circles. When we extend our hand and choose to include those around us...we send ripples that can impact the whole. What we choose to do it is ultimately up to us.
Amazing things happen when we build connections and when we opt to include each other...even those who are different from us. We do not need to have all the solutions. We do not need to know everything or everyone. All we have to do is start with the here and now.
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