By Rev. Ed Hird
Every Christmas the Star gets our attention year in and year
out. What is it about the Bethlehem Star
that never fails to shine? What is it
about the Bethlehem story that captures the imagination of billions of people
throughout Canada and the entire globe?
Two thousand years after the birth of Jesus, we are still bearing
gifts, following that star. If it was
not for the wise men, none of us would be doing our Christmas shopping. It is amazing how much energy we can put into
Christmas, buying gifts, cooking turkeys, throwing parties. Sometimes we can in our busyness forget that
we are called to follow that star. As that Christmas Carol put it, “O star of
wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright, Westward leading, still
proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light.”
There is something very moving about perfect light, royal
beauty bright light in the midst of a people living in great darkness. December can be a time of great hopes and
great stress. No wonder that it is the
high holiday of many alcoholics.
December is that time when fragmented families try once again to
reconnect, however painfully. Why do so
many families watch the classic movie It’s
a Wonderful Life every Christmas?
Perhaps it is because this movie captures the darkness and struggle that
so many families experience at Christmas, and yet how the Christmas Star can
still break in with unimaginable light and hope.
Each of us, as the Carol puts it, may choose to look up and
see a star, that to the earth it gives great light. Each of us can choose to see the Christmas
Star, Whose glory shines so far day and night.
Each of us can find great delight in the beauty of the Christmas Star
that led the wise men to Jesus’ manger.
How many of us are willing to follow that star wheresover it goes?
Wise men and women even in 2016 still seek him. As the Christmas Carol put it, “Sages, leave
your contemplations, Brighter visions beam afar; Seek the great Desire of
nations, Ye have seen his natal star: Come and worship, come and worship, Worship
Christ, the newborn King.” The Christmas
Star causes us to celebrate a very unique birth, a baby boy who has become the
Great Desire of Billions among the nations of the earth. The Christmas Star leads us to come and
worship, to come and adore him among the cattle and the sheep in a lowly
manger.
This Christmas on Sunday Dec 18th at 10am, there
will be a presentation of the Christmas Cantata Behold The Star. May we all have eyes to see the Bethlehem Star and let this star touch your life this Christmas.
Rev. Dr. Ed Hird, Rector
-an article for the December 2016 Deep Cove Crier
-author of Restoring Health: body, mind and spirit
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1 comment:
Thanks Ed. I enjoyed this focus on the star and the application. I trust your cantata goes really well Dec. 18th - I'm sure it will.
In reflecting on the Christ Child of the manger, it's a thought that He is our "bright and Morning Star" of the occupied throne in the heavenly realms, whose beams of love shine into our souls, even now. . . . "Shine, Jesus shine, fill this land with the Father's glory . . ." ~~+~~
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