What is the attraction of sunsets?
Last week, we spent nearly an hour on a beach with several dozen strangers, all waiting for the sun to set. Some took pictures, some walked in the waves, and others just sat or stood and watched. And I wondered: why do we do this?
Of course, this was not the first time that we have driven to a beach just to enjoy God’s spectacle. Nor will it be the last!
The clouds that day provided just the right amount of color, reflecting the light but not obscuring it. Sometimes the sky is cloudless and the fiery ball just drops straight down with little fanfare and disappears below the horizon. On other days, clouds may completely cover the sun, resulting in a non-event.[Tweet “Why do we watch sunsets?“]
And yet, we (humans in general) continue to pull up a chair–in the symbolic sense, at least–when we get a chance to watch this daily miracle. In addition to the beauty, I think the miracle is the reason we’re attracted to sunsets.
It’s the miracle of another day finished and the faith that tomorrow will bring a sunrise followed by another sunset, along [Tweet “The miracle of another day finished“]with a new opportunity. Opportunity to appreciate the world we’ve been given, to tell someone “I love you,” to serve God by serving others, to make mistakes, and ask God’s forgiveness once more.
The sunset not only completes today, but it also promises tomorrow.