My life is hindered by light pollution. Read Genesis 15:1-6. I live in the New Albany city limits. When I go out at night to look at the night sky, my ability to see is limited by the light pollution all around me. Even my next-door neighbor has installed bright lights that make his yard and my front yard look almost as bright as the day. I had the great privilege of taking Astronomy in my little high school. I learned about our solar system, the Milky Way Galaxy, and how to identify stars and galaxies. I fell in love with the night sky. I have always appreciated a clear view of the sky without light pollution, but almost every night of my adult life, light pollution has been an obstacle to help get a clear view of the universe. On Wednesday, September 23, our group of Indiana pilgrims came to Mt. Sanai. Many of us walked at least partway up the mountain. To get to the top, we had a four-mile rugged hike that took two and a half hours. We climbed to 7,500 feet above sea level, where the air was thin, and the climb was difficult. My son, Caleb, Janet Kanziinger, and I reached the top of the mountain just before sunset, where we rested to watch the sun go down over the mountain range. Three thousand five hundred years ago, there was another man who climbed the same mountain and watched many sunsets. While he was on the mountain, he spoke to God, and God gave him the Ten Commandments. We stood where Moses stood. From the mountain called Mount Sinai, God asked us to keep the Ten Commandments. If we could keep these commandments, we would receive the fullness of God’s grace. God would be our God, and we would be God’s people. But generation after generation, we sinned against God. So God sent Jesus to forgive us and give us a path of grace so that we might see God clearly. When we could not make a way, God made a way and gave us the gift of eternal life. We came down Mount Sinai in the dark. The hike was more treacherous coming down than it was going up. After about an hour, I stopped and looked up. We were far from any cities or villages, and there was only a little light pollution from the moon. The sky was brilliant. I looked up to see thousands and thousands of stars. This is the view of the night sky that I crave, and I was blessed to see it. This craving I have for a view of the night sky without light pollution is the same craving I have for the ability to see God’s grace in its fullness. I invite you to join me in this journey of eliminating sin from your life that prevents us from this beautiful view of God’s grace.

Lord of heaven and earth, we are in awe of the beauty of your creation. Help us to eliminate the light pollution of sin that keeps us from a clearer view of your grace. Amen.