Star Gazing

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to serve for two weeks as the priest at St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church on the island of St. Barts in the Windward Islands of the Caribbean.  In so many ways, I felt unplugged from the world.  I also felt connected to the natural order in ways never before nor since.

At night, the island was gently lit by street lamps and headlights.  I walked with great care to a beach just down the street from the church and rectory so that I could take in the clear night sky.  In the midst of a new moon, I saw the symphony of stars in the inky-black night sky.  I beheld the universe before me, and my face was fixed towards heaven as my heart sang praise to God.  Scanning the heavens, I saw the various constellations spoken of by those of ancient times.

At that moment, I had some idea of what the Magi experienced as they studied the stars in the heavens and saw one that stood out, one with a message from heaven saying, “Come and see.”  And so they made the arduous journey from what today is Iran to what today is Palestine.

It can be said that the Magi followed the true “north star.”

That is what I saw for the first time on the beach that night—the North Star, the fixed point in the heavens by which all seafarers navigate safely through the journey.  That is the star that always is to be followed.  Did the Magi see brilliance in the heavens as then never seen?  Was it the North Star lit amazingly well?  We will never know.  What we do know is that they followed that star to the place where Jesus lay.  And they worshiped him.  

The Magi were able to see the North Star in part because there was no distracting light in the nighttime darkness they knew.  Practically speaking, we can’t be star-gazers because there is so much ambient light surrounding us.  Human light makes stars invisible to the human eye.

That’s true spiritually as well.  God provides the North Star in every life.  His name is Jesus the Christ.  He is the one who guides us and gives us direction for our lives.  In order to receive him, we need to shut out all the ambient light and human stars that distract us from that focus and clarity.

Just as the Magi followed the star, trusting in its Good News, let’s pray that the North Star will become clear in every life as well, and to follow that star in every part of the journey of this life.