Hawaii Clouds at Sunset, and Graduation and Commencement

Clouds fill the sky at sunset above the Ko Olina Lagoons on the island of Oʻahu, as seen during our 2023 Hawaiʻi trip.

As you may recall from the trip report, we went out to see the sunset most of the nights that we were in Hawaiʻi. As you can see from this photo, we were not alone. There were a few people down by the lagoon, and there were several more under the palm trees on the small hill in the distance. You may know I like wide-angle views sometimes, and I did like this view that takes in all of the scenery. You can read more about this day in Part 3 of our trip report.

By the way, the Ko Olina Lagoons each have names. The Disney resort of Aulani, where we were staying, was on the shores of the Kohola Lagoon, which is the lagoon you can see here. “Kohola” means “whale”. The other lagoons are named Honu (turtle), Naiʻa (dolphin), and Ulua (jackfish). I think you can see a pattern here. Just a fun fact I thought you might like to know.

Going Out Into the World

Lately, we have been celebrating high school graduates. Laura and I went to a high school graduation on Saturday, and we went to a graduation party on Sunday. And a few weeks before, our church had its annual Senior Sunday, where we honor all of the high school graduates.

Graduation is a celebration of completing one thing and starting another. That is why a graduation ceremony is often called a Commencement ceremony, because it celebrates that those who are graduating are commencing another phase of their lives. In the case of high school students, they are beginning to further their education beyond the basics of high school, whether that is going on to college, learning a trade in trade school, or just getting a job and learning about life in that way. As they begin, they are going out to do something new.

All of that reminds me of when the disciples of Jesus graduated on to the next phase of their lives. After Jesus was resurrected, he met with the eleven (twelve minus Judas) and told them to go out and do something new. That something was to make disciples, baptizing and teaching them. The good news was that Jesus said he would be with them in Spirit, so that they would not have to do it all by themselves.

That mission is the same for Christians today. There comes a time when you will graduate from learning about Jesus to commence going and doing something about it. And the good news is that Jesus is still with us today as we go out. We have the blessing of Jesus being with us so that we are a blessing to those we serve.

Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:18-20

About the Photo

As you probably know, I like to go back and find photos from our Hawaiʻi trip to share from time to time. I especially like the sunset photos, because I took lots of those that I did not include in the trip report and have not shared here. The photo above is one of those.

The clouds were amazing that night, but I did work on the photo just a bit to make everything look even better, adding some clarity and contrast, brightening up the foreground shadows a bit, and increasing the color saturation.

Photo: Each photo is a single Raw exposure, processed in Darktable
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Rokinon 35mm f/1.8
ISO: ISO-250
Shutter Speed: 1/4000 sec.
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal length: 35mm
Date: June 15, 2023
Location: Aulani, Ko Olina, Hawaiʻi