Last night, I was up in Sturgeon Bay in Door County officiating at a wedding, with dinner and dancing overlooking the Bay. During the nighttime, we were told we could see the Northern Lights. I walked down to the shore, gazing out across the horizon, but felt disappointed—I could barely see anything. Just as I was turning away, my cousin Max showed us a luminous, breathtaking picture he had taken.
“How did you do that?” I asked.
He explained that the camera can capture light that our eyes alone cannot perceive. I tried it, and sure enough, my phone revealed colors shimmering in the night sky that I had not been able to witness with my own eyes.
As we approach the High Holidays, I’m reminded that so much of life is like this. Sometimes we can’t see the beauty, hope, or possibility that is right in front of us—until we pause, adjust our perspective, or allow someone else to help us notice. Teshuvah invites us to open ourselves to that deeper seeing: to catch glimpses of the light within us and in those around us.
This season, may we train our hearts like a camera lens–able to reveal hidden brilliance, to notice goodness where we once saw only shadow, and to be surprised by joy.
