Tip of My Iceberg

I was on a Zoom call with two friends the night of October 6th. As novice writers, we spoke of projects we’re working on, seeking to encourage each other to keep putting words on paper.

Toward the end of the conversation, my friend reminded us that there was a special moon that night, the moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival, supposedly the brightest and roundest of the year, celebrated in East and Southeast Asian cultures. In China, the moon isn’t seen only as a celestial body, but as the symbol of harmony, unity, and rejuvenation. She showed us a mooncake, often given during this time to signify strong family ties and wholeness.

In this country, it’s known as the Harvest Full Moon, which always emerges at some point in October, appearing larger and brighter than other full moons, as it is located closest to the autumnal equinox.

I walked outside to gaze at this moon, beautiful in its brightness, seeming closer to earth because of its size.

The moon has been an object of curiosity for centuries. We know it’s gravitational pull causes tides in the oceans and stabilizes Earth’s axial tilt. It creates steady seasons and a more predictable climate. Even birds and animals rely on the moon for navigation and migration.

All by itself, however, the moon isn’t that much. It orbits the Earth, being part of something bigger than itself. What the Earth does for the moon is also significant. Earth’s gravity keeps the moon in orbit, preventing it from drifting away into space. Earth provides a protective magnetic field that keeps solar wind particles from damaging it.

The moon needs the Earth.

Individually, people often act like they’re irreplaceable, in control of all that is around them, and that they’re influence is farther reaching than it is. (Think in terms of politics, and I think you’ll understand what I mean.)

As strong and talented as many people are, nobody is so good, so above reproach, that they don’t make mistakes. We are all frail and broken. Nobody is the center of anyone else’s universe.

But God. As the Creator of the universe, the One who made all people in His image, He has the position of supreme power and authority over all. He sent His Son, Jesus, to help us better understand who He is.

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see–such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together.” Colossians 1:15-17.

Jesus is the Center of all things. He is the One who holds the world together, the One who brings fulfillment to all things and all people.

Not us. We live in community with others, but we’re not the foundation of anyone’s world.

We are like the moon, orbiting around the One who loves us best. We have value and skills, but those skills are only effective in light of the One who made us.

He makes us better when we’re part of Him.