We Saw Something Sparkling.
I don’t know what day it is anymore. And Christmas – supposedly the most joyous occasion of the year for those who celebrate – is coming. As I write, it is going to be Christmas Eve … tomorrow.
I had to think about that. Basically, Christmas Eve is tomorrow and I had to think about that.
But last night, for the first time ever, I felt connected to the original Christmas story.
I have been reading the news about the current alignment of Jupiter and Saturn. They say it looks like a very bright star, and that we haven’t been able to see that particular “star” in 800 years.
But it’s here now, hovering in the sky. Jupiter and Saturn are so closely aligned that they look like one star. Scientists have speculated that this is probably the “star” that the kings and wise men followed when they discovered a newborn baby named Jesus.
Even with a once-in-800-years chance, I kept forgetting to look for the star. You’d think, with nothing better to do, I could remember to walk outside and look up.
But no.
Then last night, we – I should say, Bill – found “it” in the night’s sky. Gathered in Shane’s room, looking out his bedroom window, we saw something sparkling and enormous. For awhile, we didn’t believe it was two planets aligning. We debated about whether or not it was an airplane or, at least, a helicopter. For awhile, the sparkling thing looked like it was moving.
It was huge and brilliant, like nothing we’d ever seen in the sky before. This planetary alignment makes a splash so bright in the night’s sky, we literally didn’t believe we were seeing a natural occurrence.
It’s the kind of sparkly, spectacular thing that would make a bunch of kings get on their camels and go chasing it through the desert.
Why wouldn’t they follow that? I thought. I’m surprised more people didn’t show up.
A few hours later, it didn’t seem as bright or sparkly. But originally, the “star” seemed like a miracle. Bill took out his telescope and, in doing so, changed the miracle into just a couple of dots in the sky.
If you click on this link, you can see other people’s photos but I’d suggest you go out tonight, or on Christmas Eve, and see if you can catch a glimpse of this incredibly rare spectacle.
Seeing this star made me believe – maybe for the first time – that the Christmas story I’d been told my whole life is … true. I still can’t guarantee that Baby Jesus was born to a virgin, or that He was/is the Son of God. That’s an argument of faith, I think, and history.
But I always wondered why a bunch of important people would head aimlessly into the desert, stopping only when they arrived at a newborn sleeping in a barn. Now … it kinda makes sense.
They would never be able to “reach” the star, but back then, people believed in signs. And a spectacular “star” in the sky could easily be construed as a sign.
Nowadays, it could have been construed as an alien spaceship – but still.
Fortunately, I don’t need to know anymore why the kings crossed the earth. And even more fortunately, I was able to see the brilliant, dazzling spectacle that made them do it.
Merry Christmas!