"We saw His star in the East and have come to worship Him."
(Matthew 2:2)
High above the busy traffic in Southern California sits the Hale Telescope, the world's largest until 1993. Just 70 miles northeast of San Diego, Palomar Mountain was chosen as the location for the telescope because the surrounding area was sparsely populated. This was a critical decision as artificial light produced by more densely populated urban areas would interfere with the natural light of the stars, making the display of night skies difficult to observe.
Artificial light produced in such areas as Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City is known as light "pollution" because the glow from these busy urban areas diminishes the ability of astronomers to search the night skies overhead. It "pollutes" the ability to see the reality of God's Creation.
The Psalmist writes,
"The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the works of His hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge."
(Psalm 19:1,2)
When I look at the skies on a clear night I am reminded of the vastness of God and how small I am. It moves me to worship.
I wonder if the Magi felt something similar when they saw the star in the East. Little is known of them from scripture but they are thought to have been a sect of wealthy pagan priests from the area of Babylon who searched out the mysteries of the Universe through astronomy and astrology. Perhaps they too heard the heavens declaring the glory of God. Matthew's gospel tells us they saw His star in the East and came to worship Him.
Searching and pondering the wonders of the night skies and the magnificence of God moves us to worship Him too. The majesty of His Creation compels us to pause in wonder, to stare in fascination, and to drop to our knees in praise.
But just as the artificial light produced by large city areas diminishes the heavenly lights above us, so too does the artificial light that exists in the fast-paced world we live in today. There seems little opportunity in the busyness of this 'information age' to search and ponder. The artificial light produced by our culture gradually creeps into our lives and diminishes our ability to see the True Light of the World, Jesus.
The One whose hands stretched out the heavens
and marshaled the starry host at Creation
came to us as a little baby born in a stable
2000 years ago.
Not many noticed.
Perhaps they too were busy,
living in the artificial light of their time.
But some noticed,
because they were looking.
The Magi searched, saw, came, worshiped.
Today we live in a culture of literal and figurative artificial light. As the bright artificial light of urban areas makes it harder to discern the stars of the sky, the artificial light of our culture can make it hard for us to discern the magnificent awe-inspiring truth that,
"The true light that gives light to every man
was coming into the world."
John 1:9
This Christmas may the Light of the World shine bright in our lives. May it dispel the artificial light of the world we live in.
