“And [Jacob] dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” – Genesis 28:12

Last week, many in the Illinois Valley and around the state were gifted with brilliant views of the aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights.

Although the solar storms that trigger the light show have been particularly intense this year, and there have been other sightings of the lights this far and further south, it is still extremely rare to see them in Illinois.

Even a friend who lives in Chicago’s Loop was able to see them, despite the significant light pollution in the area. The lights were clearly visible in the photos she shared.

I was fortunate enough – on a family vacation to Traverse City, Michigan – to witness the lights. Although I was sleeping at 10:30 p.m. and resisted getting up when my nephews came to drag me out of bed, I am grateful I relented. It was truly a magical experience to witness these mystical phenomena, and we were all left speechless.

A high school classmate lives in northern Wisconsin, and she periodically shares photos of the lights visible from her area. She never seems to get used to seeing them, and I can understand why.

But even more than that, it is gratifying for me to see the delight she takes in watching for them and, when she does see them, sharing them. Her excitement and anticipation are akin to that of a child at Christmastime – as well they should be.

Even if there is a scientific explanation for them, the lights touch something deep in our souls and, in turn, allow us to be touched by the infinite.

After the light shows last week, some photos began circulating on social media of what looked like angelic formations within the lights.

It could have been the power of suggestion, but it is hard to deny just how real these images appeared. The formations in these lights were majestic, just as you expect angels to be in their protective power.

Angels are pure spirit; they don’t have bodies. Although they don’t have bodies, they can take form. Many of us have had encounters in our lives that cannot be easily explained. If all of this is true, would it be impossible that God saw fit to reveal his ongoing presence through pictures of these mysterious lights?

Besides, why does everything have to have a scientific explanation? I am all for understanding the workings of our world and the universe in which we live, but is it so bad to look upon it with a sense of awe and wonder from time to time?

Personally, this week I resolved to myself that I am going to intentionally seek out wonder each day of my life. The wonder might be small or magnificent, but wonder in any form keeps us grounded in humility, and it helps keep us sane.

Wonder helps us to remember that our finite minds, even collectively, can never fully grasp the intricate designs of creation, which only God knows. And in instances like angelic figures appearing in photos of the northern lights, it helps us to hold on to faith in God’s protective presence, even during extremely difficult times.

This morning, I watched a short clip of Liz Cheney giving a eulogy for her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney.

She shared the following: “The night before my dad died, the sky above my parents’ house filled with clouds in the shape of winged angels. I’d never seen anything like it. It seemed, indeed, that angels and archangels and all the company of heaven had come to watch over him.”

I have read much on the spirituality of death, and it is not unusual for the dying to report the presence of something in the room with them that is invisible to others. Often, the dying report winged figures, such as angels, as well as the presence of deceased family and friends in the room. These incidents occur across all faiths, traditions and cultures and are corroborated in countless reports by nurses, hospice workers, death doulas, family members and friends.

So, if Liz Cheney says she saw a sky full of clouds in the shape of angels the night before her father died, I am apt to believe she wasn’t just imagining things.

Angels are messengers from God.

How those messengers take form will always be a mystery to us, but if they bring a sense of hope, peace and goodwill during our darkest days and nights, then it should not be too much of a stretch to believe they are real.

SPIRIT MATTERS is a weekly column by Jerrilyn Zavada Novak that examines experiences common to the human spirit. Contact her at jzblue33@yahoo.com.