Now through the end of December, a chance to re-examine the gifts of Advent, the arrival of a Savior, and the epiphany of Epiphany.
Genesis 1:3-4 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good.
Light in its various forms has been the object of worship as long as there have been humans. Fire, sun, moon, and stars are lauded from ancient to modern myth and spiritual practice. Yet the ancient manuscript Genesis introduces the creator God who called light into being, separated it from darkness, creating the sun to rule the day and the moon the night. And he created the stars too, we are told, as part of the heavenly lights “for signs and for seasons, and for days and years” (v. 14).
It is a star sign that speaks to astronomers who are not Hebrews, nor followers of the God of the Hebrews. Still, they heed the star’s message and find the holy Child; thus, strangers become his first protection from the ruler determined to find and kill him. Astonishingly, these foreigners and heathensworship him, declaring allegiance – not to the stars, or science, or the governments of this world – but to a baby revealed to them by a God they don’t know.
Like ancient cultures, our own shows a penchant for confusing allegiances. Many people consult the stars, looking for something to build their lives on. Yet the stars, like all of God’s powerful craftsmanship, are gifts when they point us toward gratitude and worship of the Creator rather than creation.
Giver of good gifts, may the sun, moon, stars, and all light remind us of your creative power and genius, pointing us toward you, Light of the World.
Amy released a full-length book in early 2021, Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. Maybe you’d like to check it out here.
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