More Than We Can Say Grace Over
January 22, 2020

     So the first lesson of this solar life is, Be thou humble, earthling.  Thy life is a gift.  Or, for more modern sensibilities: We live in a state of grace, so carry yourself with humility.

      And the second lesson is this: Give thanks.

     * * *

     We‛ve already learned that the amount of energy falling to earth from the sun in a single hour is comparable to the amount of energy that modern humans collectively consume in a year.  According to MIT scientist David L. Chandler, 173,000 terawatts (trillions of watts) of solar energy strike the earth‛s surface at any given moment.  That‛s 173 with fifteen zeros after it, or 173,000,000,000,000,000!

    So grace abounds.  It comes to us, says the Carpenter of Nazareth, "in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over." 

 What should we do with all this abundance?  While we don‛t have all the answers yet, this much is clear: we have more than we can even say grace over. So let us give thanks. Let us walk through this day and every other in a spirit of humble thanksgiving.  We are far less likely to ignore, hoard, or destroy that which we have named and for which we are grateful.  So let us give thanks.  We are already rich, and we are far more likely to learn what it is we are to do with our riches -- and to use them without poisoning the air with entitlement -- when we practice gratitute.  So let us give thanks.