Epiphany at the Adler

I had to see the entire universe before I could hear God.

By: Reg Darley

It’s the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child that usually comes to mind when we think about the feast of the Epiphany. But the word ”epiphany,” which means “manifestation,” refers not just to a particular event but to a sudden realization or appearance, especially from God. In this sense, an epiphany is God speaking to us. And when he does, it’s like the earth moving under our feet, with thunder and lighting all around.

I had such an epiphany in, of all places, the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Situated on the shore of Lake Michigan, the Adler houses an astronomy museum and three the­aters featuring shows about space and the universe. In its circular, high-domed sky theater, you can sit in a plush chair, put your head back, and look up at an awe-inspiring pro­jection of the night sky.

Believe me, it takes your breath away when the lights dim, and sud­denly, there in total darkness, you see the celestial panorama that God created. Hundreds of thousands of stars, the moon and planets—it’s as if you were viewing the scene from a hundred miles out in space, where there is no artificial light to dim its magnificence.

Where and Why? It was in the Adler’s museum section, though, that God spoke to…

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