Orbs and Spirituality

Photo taken from the website Pure Spiritual

David Derrington ponders if there are connections between Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UFOs), past religious revivals and the contemporary spiritual quest. Is our planet entertaining angels unawares, or are we being visited by some other form of Non-human Intelligence?

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Orbs aka “drones” are in the news, especially since this photo (below) taken by a pilot from his plane at Manchester Airport has gone viral.

While I believe that significant disclosure – well beyond this decade's two close-chested Congressional hearings on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (aka UFOs) - is inevitable, and that believers need to be prayerfully attentive to developments as they unfold, I'm sending this piece on orbs to FFF with an essentially spiritual focus and intention.

The 1904-5 Welsh Revival

Paranormal phenomena accompanying the 1904-5 Welsh Revival played a significant part in its global impact:

Constitution d'Atlanta, Sunday 12th March, 1905

Special Cable, London, March 11:

"Mrs. Mary Jones, the wife of a farmer at Egryn, is rapidly becoming one of the most noteworthy personages in the Welsh religious revival...The "Lights of Egryn" have become a household word in the Principality, and they are regarded as a "divine seal" set upon the mission of Mrs. Jones...She insisted, among other things, that a star--her star, she styled it--settled over the chapel at [Rhondda?--nearly illegible] where she preached on Saturday night, and that mysterious lights accompanied her on her journey home. "One of them lashed into my carriage," she said. "It was a glowing ball of fire of exceeding brightness, but perfectly harmless."

However they may have been understood at the time, it would seem that “The Egryn Lights” were manifesting, like other orbs associated with worship in recent years, a certain spiritual curiosity. And whether or not the orbs at Egryn should be understood as angelic or divine in origin, there is significant testimony that their presence caused some, who might otherwise have not wished to know, to give attention and to respond to the revival message.

Sought out by an orb during lockdown

During lockdown on the Isle of Sheppey I was visited by a glowing ball of fire of exceeding brightness, but perfectly harmless. At the time I knew nothing of Mary Jones' experience in her carriage, but reading the account a few days ago I instantly thought of what happened that morning.

I woke up before sunrise and decided to take my one permitted outing that day to have a time of worship on the sea wall and watch the sunrise. I remember that it was a “noisy time” (as opposed to a 'Quiet Time') but no-one else was around until I looked over the Estuary and saw a bright light to the left of the Sun. 

My first thought was: If that's Venus, then it wasn't there last time I looked. It was way brighter and a beautiful sunrise so I reached for my phone and took pictures, suddenly realising that this orb was coming towards me. It touched the ground to my right...and disappeared.

If I hadn't been in a deep place of worship and union I might well have been a bit scared but my memory is that I just carried on with my “noisy time” undistracted. It was only looking at the photos over breakfast that I realised something strange had happened.

I don't believe it was angelic or divine in origin – it had nothing to say to me. But I do believe that whatever intelligence directed that orb in my direction “wanted to know” what was going on. Motivated by spiritual curiosity.

Spiritual curiosity

In vain the first-born Seraph tries
To sound the depths of Love Divine

- from a verse in Wesley's great hymn And can it be?, based on 1 Peter 1:13.

If angels desire to look into the outworking of human redemption, which they as purely spiritual beings cannot experience, could it be that at least some other Non-human Intelligences are also wanting to know about The Good News of Jesus on The Blue Planet? Maybe NHIs wanted in on the 1904-5 Welsh Revival...

2025 - 2030

I honestly cannot see this decade ending without disclosures regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena which will bring not only answers to questions but a seismic rethink for humanity. 

George Bush Sr, former US President and one time director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, reportedly stated that the American people could not handle the truth regarding what were then called UFOs.

1. How will we, in the Church, “handle the truth”?​

2. How will we, in the Church, help those around us who are struggling to “handle the truth”?

3. How would we feel if a Non-human Intelligence wanted to know more about our experience of God?