Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Carmel MTC, Boston, MA
"....after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men
from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has
been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have
come to pay him homage.”
Journals refer to a star as an intensely luminous globe of plasma held together by gravity. At its core, it is a huge mass of gaseous material composed primarily of hydrogen, along with helium and trace amounts of heavier elements.
Journals refer to a star as an intensely luminous globe of plasma held together by gravity. At its core, it is a huge mass of gaseous material composed primarily of hydrogen, along with helium and trace amounts of heavier elements.
A
star signifies positive energy. A ‘starry’ sky is synonymous with a
beautiful night, a fireworks display is intended to mimic the constellation of
stars in the sky. Stars are a positive reinforcement of exceptional
performance, academic excellence is rewarded with a star. We have film stars,
sports stars, stars in every walk of life, the term representing an exceptional
achiever.
The
most recent craze has been ‘Star Wars’, banner headlines in news and social
media. Characters such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, etc.
dominate the conversation and have created a media frenzy.
In this day and age, using a GPS
or Google Maps gets us from one place to another, but a century ago, sailors
used the position of stars in the sky and their compass to help navigate
uncharted waters.
Amid
the commercial clamour that confounds Christmas, the ‘Star of Bethlehem’, that
forms the basis of our meditation today, has several connotations that merit
reflection.
The
star was a symbol of Christ’s birth, the wise men saw the star as different
from all other stars, suggesting this was a special event. Jesus Christ,
was the invaluable gift from God to humankind, and needed to be signalled by an
unusual phenomenon, a ‘star’.
The star gave direction to the
wise men, they followed it to arrive at the stable where Christ was born.
Even today, the ‘star’ that represents God’s word to us, gives us
direction, if we choose to heed it, in all our decisions and deliberations, our
corporate and family life.
The
star gave light as it came to rest over the place where Christ was born.
Every day in our lives, that same star can continue to give light and
illumine God’s will in our daily walk with him.
In
this advent season, as we sing carols, share friendship, good food, gifts, etc.
let us not forget the ‘star’ that heralded Christ’s coming into this
world. As we stand at the threshold of another year, may this ‘star’
guide us in His will for our lives.
Star
of wonder, star of night,
Star
with royal beauty bright,
Westward
leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to Thy perfect Light.
PRAYER
Gracious God, we thank You for the ‘star’ in our lives, Jesus Christ.
May His light illuminate all the dark areas of our heart and may He give
us direction in our walk with You. Amen
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
The ‘star’ that
heralded Christ coming into this world represents God’s word to us, gives us
direction in all our decisions if we choose to heed it.