The Gift of Starlight

Read: Genesis 1:1-19
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. (vv. 3-4)

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 and 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. And that is how strangers and foreigners, heathens really, become his first protectors, saving him from the ruler determined to find and kill him. Astonishingly, the astronomers worship him, declaring allegiance, not to the stars, or science, or the governments of this world, but to a baby revealed to them by the God who put the stars into their courses.

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. 

Prayer: 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.