Hidden Meaning

Written By : Rev. Steven Ware

One of the very interesting and completely unexpected experiences I have had in life took place directly in front of this astronomical clock.  Constructed in 1410, it is located inside the Marienkirche (Saint Mary’s Church) in Lübeck, Germany.  Like other astronomical clocks found in churches and public squares across Europe, it tells much more than just the time of the day, including information on the phases of the moon, the positions of planets and constellations, and dates of important festivals through the course of the year, including my special interest—Easter, which happens to be my birthday.

The sheer mass of information which is collected and collated on these clocks is simply overwhelming to most casual visitors.  I am one of the lucky few who understands more of it, but only because it has been a research interest of mine over the years.  So as I was explaining some details to my wife (all the inscriptions are in German and Latin), nearly a dozen other visitors soon gathered and began asking questions, as if I were a professional tour guide.  While I was glad to be of assistance, we could not help but be amused at the unexpected nature of the rather impromptu class that took place.  (In fact, on another such occasion at Musee Louvre in Paris I was explaining the painting “Coronation of Napoleon” to my wife and son when a larger crowd began gathering, such that we attracted the attention of the security guards who actually thought I was a tour guide.)

I wish I could say I am equally astute at understanding the details and meaning of everything that happens in my life and the world around me, but alas, I am far from it.  Many of us understand a few of the matters and processes of our lives, but are still overwhelmed by the sheer mass of everything together, like the visitor in front of the astronomical clock who wonders at its meaning.  Or similarly, like us who pause and wonder how will God use Fountain of Life in the next 10, 15 and 50 years.

Yet Scripture makes it clear that there is one who understands all the details of our lives and our world, and in fact far better than we ever imagine.  God tells Isaiah, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).   In fact, Job was rebuked by God for even imagining that he could somehow understand or question God’s dealings in this world (38:2ff).  And Jesus directed our attention away from preoccupation with the details of daily life by telling us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

Seeking first the kingdom of God and seeking to understand life from his perspective is an essential key to retaining spiritual sanity and balance.  The prime reason for my interest in astronomical clocks comes from the fact that many of them feature a list of the dates of Easter over a given period of years, a list that has been updated and expanded over the centuries since their creation.  The fact of my birth on Easter Sunday motivated me to begin researching the riddle of the Easter cycle years ago.  And it is actually Easter Sunday that gives us the best answer for the intimidation and confusion we experience when we face the complexity of our lives and our world:  “We were therefore buried with him by baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).