December 7, 2007

Much better than in many places in the world is the view that we have of the night sky in southeastern Ohio.  Wide open countryside provides a much better “venue” for seeing the dazzling lights spread across the canopy of heaven than do cityscapes whose auras obscure the tiny flames of fire that dance year after year attesting to the glory of He Who created them.  Each celestial body is a miracle, each one a singular creation. 

“Praise the LORD.  How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!...  He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.  Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit” (Psalm 147:1, 4-5 NIV). 

Red giants, yellow suns, and white dwarfs (not to mention neutron stars, black holes, nebulae, quasars, and pulsars), with a seemingly infinite number of variations of all of them, are all set into what would have been the inky blackness of night without them. 

And yet no single star has as much historical and, indeed, spiritual significance as does the one that shone on the little, lonely town of Bethlehem leading spiritual seekers from lands far in the east. 

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi (wise men) from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the One Who has been born king of the Jews?  We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him….’  They went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was” (Matthew 2:1-2, 9 NIV). 

See how all the starry hosts were forced to give way to the one whose light outshone with brilliance and glory all their efforts?  See how the light of this special star was seen and discerned so that these eastern spiritual seekers could be brought to the Truth (see John 14:6)?  Of all the stars that they could have followed, of all the signs that these wise men might have heeded, only one was worthy of the great trek that they took upon themselves.  Only one was sufficient for the sacrifices of leaving family, friends, and important duties.  Only one could lead them the right way. 

But stars fill the skies of our lives today also.  Twinkling all around us are lights that beckon us to follow.  It seems that the whole landscape of our vision is exploding with flickering invitations promising to lead us to health, wealth, and happiness but lead to nothing in the end but disappointment, disillusionment, and spiritual death.  But, just as in the day of the Magi, there is one Light that can actually lead us the right Way and bring us to the Truth.  Only One is worthy of our devotion as it insists that we each arise from our life of personal pursuits and pursue the will of our Creator. 

When I gaze into the night skies, I am humbled to think that in all of this wide and wonderful universe, there is one hurtling sphere especially dear to the Lord’s heart, so dear in fact that He Himself descended to it and dwelt thereon.  And upon that hurtling sphere lives and breathes humanity, lost and adrift in the swirling cosmos, reaching for stars but reaping dust.   

But how the heart of God yearns for a harvest of hope in our lives!  He still beckons us to come to Him, to search for Him, and to leave all to follow Him (see Luke 9:23).  He still says to us that, while there are countless stars in our lives to which we could give our lives, only One is worthy of the great trek that we must take upon ourselves.  Only One can lead us the right Way.  Only One can bring us to the Truth. 

“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh” (Matthew 2:10-11 NIV). 

And if we too will follow the Light which leads us to God’s Truth, then we too may enter joyfully into His presence, worship Him, and offer Him such gifts as we have. 

(Thom Mollohan and his family have ministered in southern Ohio the past twelve years.  He is the pastor of Pathway Community Church, which meets on Sunday mornings at 455 Third Avenue.  He may be reached for comments or questions by email at pastorthom@pathwaygallipolis.com).