After Sunset

T

he hefty 737 airliner rumbled down the runway gathering speed in its effort to leave the ground and become airborne.  Just a few more seconds and we would leave the earth behind and begin our ascent toward the magical altitude of 37,000 feet, destination Paris, France.  The captain pulled back on the stick and the bulky piece of metal jumped into the air and gently floated aloft, upheld by the cool air passing over its wings and lifting it gently higher into the sky.

The plane continued its ascent, passing through cloud banks, playing tag with the small clouds that drifted near its wings, and shaking ever so slightly as small bumps of turbulence were overcome with ease.  After a hard right bank, the pilot evened the plane out and the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport was soon nothing but a speck and a memory.  In the distance, the sun was making its way toward the western horizon, inching slowly downward, heading for the darkness of night and a well-earned rest.  All that remained was the soft drone of the engines and the conversations of passengers in the seats around me.

About three hours into the flight, I cast one last glance out my window and could see the final rays of sunshine disappear into the western sky.  The sun slipped below the horizon and night cast her velvety shawl over the clouds, bringing peace to the earth below.  What a wonderful sense of calm I experienced as I gazed at that sunset until the moon rose in the distance.  Then I closed blind, adjusted my blanket and settled in for my journey around the world, still thinking about the sunset I had seen at 37,000 feet.

There is something soothing about a sunset, whether it is viewed from terra firma or from 37,000 feet in the air.  It brings closure and is a welcomed rest from the work and hustle of daytime hours.  Perhaps this is why Mark paints the following scene of Jesus healing the sick and possessed after sunset.  In Mark 1:32 we read, “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door.” In the cool of the evening, after the hustle and the bustle of the day, Jesus comes and heals the people of the village.  He takes away the cares of life and replaces them with his presence, his joy, and his peace.  After sunset and in the presence of Jesus, the troubles, cares, pressures, and problems of this life simply vanish.

Jesus is aware of the difficulties of life.  He knows when friends forsake us, he knows when unexpected trials and tribulations come, and he is aware of life’s most difficult and challenging moments.  He invites us to bring our burdens and our cares to him and to place them at his feet.  Have you spent time after sunset with Jesus? Wouldn’t you love to do that today?