The Promise of the Sunrise and the Glory of the Sunset

The sun, with the moon and stars, signs to mark seasons and days and years.

"Sunrise, Sunset. Sunrise, sunset. Swiftly flow the years."
Tevye and Golde used the passing of the sun to symbolize the passing of time in
   "Fiddler on the Roof."

I always have loved sunrises and sunsets.
Even when I had a morning paper route in high school, as the sun rose,
   there were times I would take the advice of the Jerry Reed song, "Today is Mine,"
   playing on my stereo, and take "the time to watch it rise."

I have taken hundreds of pictures of sunrises and sunsets,
   often getting up early or staying up late,
      driving or biking or hiking or climbing
         to a place with a better view.

I moved to Albuquerque, NM last summer.
   My apartment opens to the east with a view across the Rio Grande Valley
   to the mountains.
I watch the sun rise as I read my Bible, eat breakfast, reflect, and journal.

I have taken pictures of sunsets and sunrises on water:
   the Gulf of Mexico, and lakes and rivers in many places.
I have used windmills, grass inflorescences, trees, and rock formations
   to frame the sun on its path.
Clouds figure prominently in the beauty of the sunrises and sunsets in
   the Texas Panhandle,
   framing the sun, enhancing the colors, changing the light patterns.
In Albuquerque, hot air balloons drifting south along the valley
   often add variety in color and shape.

But I think my favorite sunrises to watch involve mountains,
   though not all mountains are created equal.
I recently went to Laughlin, NV.
   I looked across the Colorado River as the sun rose
      over the Black Mountains in Arizona. It was inspiring, ...
But ...
   the colors are more complex in Albuquerque as the sun rises over
      the Sandia Mountains.

Why? I'm not sure.
   Both ranges are about 4000 to 5000 feet above, and about 12 miles east,
      of their respective rivers.
   The starting elevation is much different. Laughlin is at 535 feet,
      while Albuquerque sits at 5300 feet.
   Perhaps it's just the difference in the mineralogy and vegetation, but ...
   Perhaps the thinner atmosphere and slightly higher humidity in Albuquerque
      enhance the colors.
   Perhaps the steep slope of the west face of the Sandias makes the change from
      light to dark more drastic.

Whatever it is,
   the silhouettes are more dramatic;
      the nuances are more pronounced;
         the palette is more varied.

Thanks, Lord, for the beauty with which You surround us to proclaim Your glory.

Though I enjoy sunsets, which may be glorious,
   I have a greater appreciation for the symbolism in the sunrise.
   Each day promises a new start and reminds us that we have been
      brought out of darkness,
      transferred into the Kingdom of Light, and
         that the Son of righteousness,
            the Light of the world,
               is rising in our hearts.
   The sunrise reminds us that Light overcomes darkness, and
      the darkness cannot resist light, and
         that one day darkness will be dispelled,
            completely defeated.
   The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our God and
      of His Christ, and
         He shall reign forever and ever! Amen!
   Hallelujah!

The glory of a sunset symbolizes that of a life well-lived,
   one to whom the Master will say,
      "Well done, good and faithful servant ..."
   This is the blessing promised to those who finish the race and fight the good fight.
   They will receive the inheritance.
      The kingdom prepared since the creation of the world awaits ...

Sunrise
Genesis 1:14-19; Proverbs 4:18; Lamentations 3:22-23
John 1:4-5; 8:12; Colossians 1:13; 1 Peter 1:9; Revelation 11:15; 21:23-24

Sunset
Matthew 25:21,23,34; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; 2 Peter 1:14

January 27-28, 2012