On the eleventh day of Christmas my True Love gave to me, eleven sparkly lights, ten recycled bows, nine ranks of scholars, eight modes of worship, seven crazy feelings, six proclamations, five broken dreams, four upset parents, three gifts from wisemen, two speaking prophets, and a great big herd of bleating, dumb sheep.
Is a star pointed, or is it just a blob of light? If you think about the sun, which is a medium-sized star (so they say), it is a sphere of light. So why do we think of stars as pointed objects, like snowflakes without the holes? The whole Star of Bethlehem has always fascinated me. Stars have always intrigued me. How can a sailor look at them and know which direction is which? I look at the sky, and I am in awe, but have never been able to get a sense or feel for time or direction from them. I mean, if the earth is orbiting around the sun, does that mean stars are stationary, or do they orbit, too? And how did the magi know the star was from God? Were they looking for a Messiah, a King, or just a promised leader? This is the part of the story (okay, one of many parts of the story) that totally fascinates me.
Many Christians find Moorehead Planetarium's "Star of Bethlehem" offensive because it delves into all the scientific and historical possibilities for what the star could have been, before ending with the religious possibility of simply being a miraculous sign. I believe it was a miraculous sign, but we can't ignore the fact that the magi were studying the stars for signs and directions prior to its appearance. We know the magi weren't Israelis. They weren't temple worshippers participating in the sacrificial system (at least not the Judaic version anyway). So where did their knowledge and awareness of the Christ child originate? How did God orchestrate that information to them? When I focus on such things, I'm reminded of just how thorough God is. The news of Christ's birth went to both the lowest of society and the Gentiles. How awesome (and offensive to the powers that be at that time) is that?
I must admit I am ignorant of the stars and patterns, and their representations and meanings. But the nativity story, specifically the star, reminds me that all of nature praises God and cries out to Him. May every area of my life do the same.
Is a star pointed, or is it just a blob of light? If you think about the sun, which is a medium-sized star (so they say), it is a sphere of light. So why do we think of stars as pointed objects, like snowflakes without the holes? The whole Star of Bethlehem has always fascinated me. Stars have always intrigued me. How can a sailor look at them and know which direction is which? I look at the sky, and I am in awe, but have never been able to get a sense or feel for time or direction from them. I mean, if the earth is orbiting around the sun, does that mean stars are stationary, or do they orbit, too? And how did the magi know the star was from God? Were they looking for a Messiah, a King, or just a promised leader? This is the part of the story (okay, one of many parts of the story) that totally fascinates me.
Many Christians find Moorehead Planetarium's "Star of Bethlehem" offensive because it delves into all the scientific and historical possibilities for what the star could have been, before ending with the religious possibility of simply being a miraculous sign. I believe it was a miraculous sign, but we can't ignore the fact that the magi were studying the stars for signs and directions prior to its appearance. We know the magi weren't Israelis. They weren't temple worshippers participating in the sacrificial system (at least not the Judaic version anyway). So where did their knowledge and awareness of the Christ child originate? How did God orchestrate that information to them? When I focus on such things, I'm reminded of just how thorough God is. The news of Christ's birth went to both the lowest of society and the Gentiles. How awesome (and offensive to the powers that be at that time) is that?
I must admit I am ignorant of the stars and patterns, and their representations and meanings. But the nativity story, specifically the star, reminds me that all of nature praises God and cries out to Him. May every area of my life do the same.
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