THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
As I gaze upon the earth, it appears as nothing, and likewise upon the heavens. How can it be considered nothing? He remarked that there were no sheep, no cattle, no structures, no fortifications, as he recognized that warfare had ravaged these elements. And even the heavens lack a glimmer of light. This reflects the observer's perception, not the essence of the situation. He does not merely claim but ‘saw’ (εῖδον), and there was no light in his vision. The darkness of night, as is customary, concealed the light, hinting at the absence of the moon and stars.
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The night of anguish, far more intense than this, obscured all celestial bodies—not in their essence but from the observer's view, rendering their light seemingly nonexistent; it appeared as though it were bare and without illumination. This experience is shared by the souls clouded in darkness. To many who emerge from the sea onto the shore, the earth appears to rise and spin. This phenomenon is typically caused by nature. Just as fear grips the senses, distorting the perception of calm and still water, which makes the depths seem turbulent and merges the upper with the lower, leading to a warped reality, so too is the experience here: one person hears differently than another sees, and nothing maintains its proper form. In the dark, I found myself consumed by fear due to the desolation of the city, which represents a collective night, reflecting the vastness of the sky.