How to interpret the ‘super moon’

Friday, March 11 began like most any other day for me. After getting up at about 5:30 a.m. and making the commute into Anchorage, I arrived at work in relative peace shortly before 7:30. Once there, I discovered that while my world was in relative peace, the lives of thousands of other people had been completely turned upside down by forces far beyond man’s control.

As I began my message that following Sunday, I reminded my congregation of our need to pray for those in Japan during this tragedy and how that without a doubt, there were multitudes of Christians left in the wake of those waves — perhaps many who went home to be with the Lord, who drowned in those waters. But in between Friday and Sunday I also ran across some interesting news regarding the moon.

While it was not really related to the tsunami, someone had put forward the question as to whether or not the moon had caused the earthquake, and thus the fatal wave. While all the experts cited in that article doubted the moon had any effect on this current disaster, the article went on to elaborate that the moon was in its up cycle and that it was due to be full on the 19th, this past Saturday. But this was to be no mere full moon. Because it would be full at almost its closest point to the earth, astronomers were calling it an “extreme super moon.”

Did you see it? The last one was in 2005 and it was overcast, so I was disappointed I missed it.

But more importantly than the moon is what the moon represents in scripture, and that is Christianity. It does not represent just any religion, but as the moon is the nighttime counterpart to the sun; whoever the sun represents will surely show us who the moon is. And Jesus Christ is the sun. In Malachi 4 he is the “sun of righteousness” who shall arise with healing in his wings. In John 9, he declared that he is the “light of the world.”

And now that he is no longer in the world, this world sits in darkness, for it is nighttime.

My friends, in Genesis Chapter 1, on day 4, God made the sun and the moon to rule over the day and night. While they did not necessarily rule on the earth, they most certainly make their presence known, and even felt, when they are above shining down.

Consider some interesting facts about the moon that are also true of Christianity.

First, the moon has no light of its own. In the book of Job, it says that the moon walks “in brightness,” that is, the brightness of the sun. It is merely a great big mirror in the nighttime sky. The same is true for biblical Christianity. We have no glory of our own, but are to be a reflection of Christ to the world around us. And, the closer we get to the world, like this super moon, the more brightly we should shine.

Secondly, the moon points toward the sun. Have you ever thought of this? This last lunar phase began with the sun off to the right of the moon, but with each passing day it moved behind us until it was directly so when the moon was full. Even so are we as Christians supposed to point to Christ. We point to him, for it is he who has what the world needs. Whatever good the world sees in us, it is because of Christ working in our lives. And so, we point.

Thirdly, when the moon does not shine, it is because Earth comes between it and the sun. Even so, Christianity does not shine when eclipsed by the world. And this happens when individual Christians try to look and act like the lost. This is the condition of much of Christianity today, where holiness is scorned. Christians, this is not good.

And lastly, like those who wished to blame the moon for the tsunami, far too many blame society’s woes on Christianity. This can be seen in history, and we are seeing it again in society today. The truth is that problems come because sin entered the world 6,000 years ago; mankind has only itself to blame. Jesus came and brought answers, but stubborn man refuses to heed the warnings.

Have you seen the moon? Christians, it is time for us to be honest with ourselves. Have we been as faithful as the moon in pointing the world to the light?

Ron Hamman is pastor of Independent Baptist Church of Wasilla. Contact him at 357-4229 or ron.hamman@gci.net.

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