The meaning of the Christmas Star

Have you ever noticed how the meaning of the Christmas Star changes with time.

When I was small it was that big shiny mysterious thing that Dad had to put on the tree.

When I got older I was taught that it was a beacon or sign showing where Jesus was born.

As a security guard starlight was my friend, since it was one of only two sources of light that didn't ruin my night vision.

Later when I started reading scientific journals I learned that it was probably a supernova that resulted in the Crab nebula or maybe a comet passing in the sky.

As a young father, the Christmas Star became a nuisance and a hazard to my health as I had to place the shiny object on top of a prickly evergreen while perching on a rickety ladder.

As an empty nester it became a memento of days gone by.

Still later, when I had taken up reading Biblical Archaeological Articles for a hobby I learned that some scholars claimed that it was simply an ancient literary convention created to show the divinity of Christ while still more wondered if it was part of the original Christmas narrative at all.

Thanks to my voracious appetite for reading I have even come across a few articles that claimed the Christmas Star to be a UFO.

As for me personally I think that it might have been one of two things. It was either an angel sent to show the wise men the location or perhaps it could have been God's finger sticking out of heaven and pointing directly at Christ to make sure that there was no way the wise men would miss Him.  One thing I do know for sure wise men still seek Him but I also know that being a man I wouldn't ask for directions- even if it was the first Christmas and Bethlehem.

But one thing has stayed the same regardless. It still points the way to Jesus and ultimately to heaven. Therefore it becomes the star that will ultimately lead me home.

Peace and Love
John the Gnostic

Christmas Lights

Have you ever noticed that there are two types of Christmas lights? That realization dawned on me as I was driving home from work the other night. It was cold and drizzling and the lights of the city gave the clouds overhead a dark grey somber feeling to the atmosphere but then I saw a house decked out with Christmas lights. The reds, blues, greens, and assorted other colors automatically lifted my spirits and it made it feel a little more like Christmas in spite of the fact that the weather had me feeling more like it was January.

It reminded me of certain types of people in a way. We all know the first type: that somebody that Christmas brings out the best in.
There's always one Decorator in the family and that's the person who can hang a section of evergreen with a precision that an engineer would envy and mix colors with a variety of materials with such skill that it rivals that of some artists.
 There's also the Technician, which is something that I used to be until a bad electrical connection showed me the error of my ways. This person might be mistaken for a special effects wannabe or a major stockholder in the local utility.
Then there's the Giver. This is the type of person who seems to save all year just to buy gifts at Christmas. This person doesn't just give to immediate family, they'll buy for cousins and even in-laws as well. If there's a Salvation Army Kettle anywhere around they'll find it, and some of the time they'll even be the ones collecting for the Salvation Army. There is nothing that this person won't give out in terms of money or time.

Then there's the second type of decoration and people that people may or may not notice. This decoration a lot of times consists of a simple candle in a window that may or may not be framed by evergreen. Now in comparison with all of the other Christmas lights, this one might not put out much light. In fact if you put in a congregation with other candles it's contributing light might get lost in the cumulative mix.
But here's the primary difference between a candle and what most people think of as Christmas lights. Christmas lights are put away after the New Year arrives. The candle on the other hand can be and is often used throughout the rest of the year, especially when the power goes off on the proverbial dark and stormy night. Now it might not have the brightness, of its electrical cousin, but it is dependable and on a pitch black night when a person is desperately trying to find a light source to keep from falling down a flight of stairs, it provides necessary, and dare I say satisfactory illumination.

There are people like the candle as well. They don't shine as bright as some do on Christmas and more often than not they can't afford or think it necessary to give gifts to everyone they know or might know someday. They aren't precise and pretty like some Christmas decorations but they're there in the darkest times of your life when you need them. They're that friend you can call up when your boss has done everything short of rob you of your humanity, or that sibling that checks on your shut in parent when you can't. They're the police officer patrolling your streets, the fireman waiting for the call, the paramedic in the ambulance, and the soldier on the front lines overseas. You might not see them a lot during Christmas but you would notice them if they were gone.

This Christmas I would invite you to join me in one my family traditions: that of lighting a candle for those who serve. It can be for a professional or for someone you know personally who just makes life a little easier throughout the year.  If you believe in a higher power you can light the candle and say a prayer for them or if you don't just light one and think about that person(s) and what they do. Either way you'll be creating a light to match the one they have shined in your life,

Isn't that what we're supposed to do anyway?

Peace and Love
John the Gnostic