Lessons From the Night Sky

One night, while taking pictures of a stunning night sky, I began to pontificate. Night photography allows for a lot of that – to get a good picture of all of the pinpricks of light, you need to leave the shutter open for an extended period of time (for me, 30 seconds), to let as much light as possible enter through the lens. Once finished receiving the light, the picture needs to render, which is an additional 15 or so seconds.

While 45-50 seconds doesn’t seem like a lot of time, it seems longer, especially in our snap-and-dash mentality. Normally, you would pull out your phone, take a shot, and move on. To need to wait for 30 seconds before you can touch the camera, then more before you can see what you’ve taken a picture of? Somehow, it seems to elongate the time.

In each of those moments, thousands of thoughts can be thought. It’s no wonder we romanticize the beauty and wonder of the heavens. It inspires you to rise above. To shoot for the moon – for you may just hit a star.

The first thing I was reminded of, while under the glistening sky, was to relax while waiting. Like I said, those 45-50 seconds seem like 3-5 minutes sometimes. But there’s nothing you can do about that. It’s not going to take any shorter because you’re staring at it. Lay back into the dewy embrace of the grass, and wait.

There’s a scene from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that, while meant to crack a smile, taught me the same lesson. In it, the TMNT are in an elevator, preparing for a showdown with the villain. Unable to do anything about their predicament, they break out into a beatbox session, which promptly ends as the bell dings and the doors open.

Life can be like that sometimes. You’re waiting for that promotion to come, or to get into that college you’ve applied to. You’ve worked diligently for years; you’ve sent in your application. It’s out of your hands now. So, don’t try to take it back into your hands.

I’m not saying that you should live as if you’re going to get everything you hope for. What I am saying is that, while you wait, enjoy the wait. You’ve been given it for a reason, so make the most of it. Do something fun or productive in the meantime. I assure you, worrying is neither of these.

During my time under the silent stars, phrases also appeared in my mind – only flashes, like fireflies against the dark horizon.

“This is the type of night I would someday want to walk through with my wife.” The thought led to another deep rabbit hole, which I will save for another day.

“The stars are only seen because the moon is absent. In the same way, sometimes, it takes the hardest times to see the beauty that we rate as second-rate.”

And then, of course, my mind rushed to the passage that says, “The Heavens declare the glory of God.” Truly, the night sky did teach me that.

Coming in, I searched my Bible for the verses. Finally, I found it in Psalms 19:1.

“The heavens reveal the glory of God,
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day, they pour forth speech,
night after night, they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the end of the world.”

This passage struck me when I read it. Usually, when it’s quoted, it’s limited to the first two lines. But the following lines contain just as much truth.

The night sky is universal. No matter where you are, you’ve probably seen it. Of course, those in cities have a harder time, but geographically, you can’t get away from it. Continuously, their magnificence declare to all people, without language, that there’s more to the universe than just us. And there is no way that all of it could be created through random chance and circumstance. The glory of the heavens reveals the glory of God.

There’s so much depth to that, and I could reiterate time and time again. The beauty of the heavens transcends language and culture. No matter where you are, it remains a testament to God’s craftsmanship.

Get outside of the city. Find a patch of grass, or use the hood of your car. Stretch out, and let your eyes adjust to the darkness.

Let the wonder of the heavens overtake you.