LIFE RIGHT NOW â—½ YOU
Team Sunrise or Team Sunset?
by Jennifer Stephens
Sometimes I want to shut off the TV, hide my phone, and race outside, forgetting the nonsense to quietly gaze at the sky. Listening to the evening news or taking a scroll through social media can make us feel like society is more divided than ever. Friend against friend. Family member against family member. It's division over unity. It's "us" versus "them."
And it's exhausting.
But tackling life's great debates is nothing new. In the eighties we locked horns over less taxing topics. Our greatest dispute was Coke vs. Pepsi. Television commercials raised the question, "Which is better?" and real-life blind taste tests determined the answer (Neither for me. Ew. I'll stick with water). Or we'll question one's preference for dogs or cats (Dogs, obviously.), coffee or tea (Both!), and beach or mountains (I'll take either.). While our differing individual answers to these questions aren't quite so relationship crushing as our personal thoughts regarding recent current events seem to be, they do offer insight into our personalities.
So, when I've finally had enough of the screaming screens and venture outside, I'm confronted with another debate. Sunrises or sunsets?
Gosh, how does one choose? Both offer a swirling palette of pinks, purples, oranges, and reds. But they bring unique characteristics too. Sunrises are calm. Soft. A refreshing beginning. Sunsets are dramatic. Vibrant. A reflective ending. Team Sunrise seeks to launch something new. They're up and ready to go. Excited. High energy. Like a lively Chihuahua. Team Sunset strives to makes sense of things. To understand. They're languid and deep in thought. Like a gentle Golden Retriever.
Sunrises offer a fresh start. A new beginning. A chance to steer the wheel in a new direction. In Luke 1:78-79 we read, "...because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
The most spectacular sunsets arise after a cloudy day. A reminder of hope. A reminder that even tough days eventually end. Isaiah 60:20 offers this reminder, "Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wait no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end."
Here's my challenge for us this month...let's turn off the TV, hide our phones, and go outside. Let’s absorb the daily reminder of God’s presence. And maybe answer the great debate once and for all. Team Sunrise or Team Sunset?
"They who dwell in the end of the earth stand in awe of your signs;
you make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy."
Psalm 65:8