Our Grandchildren Are Moonlighting!

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
    praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
    praise him, all his host!

 Praise him, sun and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
    and you waters above the heavens!

 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for he commanded and they were created.
He established them forever and ever;
    he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.

 

 Psalm 148:1-6 NRSV

 

“Whichever way we turn, O God,

there is your face in the light of the moon and patterns of stars,
 in scarred mountain rifts and ancient groves,
in mighty seas and creatures of the deep. 
Whichever way we turn, O God, there is your face,
O God, there is your face in the light of eyes we love,
in the salt of tears we have tasted, in weathered countenances east and west,
 in the soft skin glow of the child everywhere. 
Whichever way we turn, O God, there is your face, there is your face among us.”

Praying With the Earth -- John Philip Newell

Our young grandchildren are moonlighting, and I'm thrilled. We were out for a woods walk with our three-year-old grandson a few weeks back and he pointed upward and said, matter-of-factly, "moon." It was early afternoon but he made out the faint outline of the moon when we weren't anticipating it at all.

We heard that our granddaughter, a year-and-a-half in age, was ecstatic to see the full moon a couple of nights ago, what was labeled the Super Snow Moon. Super moons are the ones relatively close to the Earth and is was "only" 356,846 km away from the Earth. By contrast, this year's farthest full moon on September 14, 2019 will be at 406,248 km away from our planetary home. Apparently she is quite fascinated by the moon these days and actually pointed out the moon this past weekend when we were out for a walk (there is a theme here!)

I am moved that children so young are aware and wonderstruck by the "heavens above." What stirs within them to create this fascination in an age of technological diversions and activities galore? As an eco-faith person I can't help but feel that there is something within us which innately responds to Creation, as the lovely J. Philip Newell suggests in the prayer above.

It is my deep desire to nourish this sense of wonder and delight in our grandchildren, as we did with our three children. I'm glad their parents are as well.

Here is our son Isaac's nightly prayer as a boy, a Celtic blessing:

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
            Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
            Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
            Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
                        Deep peace of Christ, the light of the world to you.