Persistent photons

Neil I MacLennan January 13, 2024 3 4

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Philippians 2: 14-18 (NRSVA)

14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. 16 It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labour in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you— 18 and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me.

Light is persistent. Unstopped, it will continue on its merry way, by and large in a straight line, forever and certainly “to the very end of the age”.

Light is fragile. Simply close your eyes and it is gone.

The next time you are outside at night, cast your eyes upon the stars and take a good look around. Find a twinkling object — any one will do — and bask in its light for a short time.

Once upon a time in that star, crushed under the immense pressures in its centre, a photon (a “particle” of light) was ejected from an atom. It fought its way through the core of the star all the way to the surface and escaped into the void of space. It began its journey, skirting interstellar dust clouds, rocks, asteroids, other stars and perhaps even traversing an entire galaxy, to end up crossing the Milky Way, carefully whizzing past the black hole at its infeasibly dark centre. One day, it came to a solar system with 8 planets circling a solitary, fairly ordinary, star. It sped past the planets, some with their rock-filled rings, on a trajectory to the blue-ish one, third from the star. As it neared, a new hazard appeared: metallic cuboids orbiting this water-world. Then — on this clear night — it made its way though the atmosphere, hurtling towards the surface. There and then, after thousands of years of travel, it met its fate: a vitamin A molecule on the back of your eye. Its purpose revealed, as you register the twinkle.

Prayer:

Unending God,
Never stop seeking us.
We praise you!

Unending God,
Never stop loving us.
We praise you!

Unending God,
Never stop.
We praise you!

Amen.