Little Mercury

I've never seen the planet Mercury—at least not knowingly. This week it will be easily visible low in the SW about 40 minutes after sunset. That is, if we get a break in the clouds.

The bright little planet isn't seen much simply because it is so close to the sun. We must look for it just before the sun comes up or just after the sun goes down. Whether the morning or the evening depends on where Mercury is in relation to earth and the sun. Of course, sometimes the sun is between earth and Mercury, so it can't be seen at all.

I like to think of the sun as symbolizing God's Son. That idea came from Psalm 19. Just as Mercury stays close to the sun and the sun's brightness makes it hard to distinguish, so I want to stay close to the Son so that His light is what people around me see.

John the Baptist had a similar thought. He said of Jesus: "He must increase, but I must decrease," John 3:30.