ADVENT- DAY 12- LOST IN THE BACKGROUND

 Have you ever walked out on a full moon night---when the moon was so bright it lit up the entire night sky?  I am thinking of one of those brilliant harvest moons---

which floods the night sky with a golden hue.  The moon is so bright and the night sky is so dark---you can only see the moon.  But we know the stars are also in the sky---lost in the background and overshadowed by the brilliance of the perfect reflection of the sun from the moon.

That first Christmas ---when the star shown so brightly it provided guidance to the magi---do you imagine all the stars were lost in the background?    Were the stars not there? OR were they there but overshadowed by the brilliance of the Bethlehem Star?  If we cannot see something---does that mean it is not there?  I cannot see an atom with my bare eye, but I know from scientific discovery by highly powered lens, all matter consists of atoms.  The fact of its existence is not limited by my lack of ability to physically see it.

I believe that is what we call faith.  We have faith the stars are all still in the night sky--even though we are not capable because of our limited vision to see them.  Though we never saw the Bethlehem Star--we have faith if did exist--it did lead the magi to the baby.  The Bethlehem star filled the blackness of the night sky---and the stars lost in the background were still there.  Not lost---but exactly where God placed them when He created the universe.  We did not see the baby---that first Christmas long ago, but in our heart--we know---we know He was born---just as God planned---at the very beginning.  We trust our instincts--trust our hearts--and celebrate.

" 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?

For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.' "

Matthew 2:2