The wonder of Christmas
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| Photo by Jack B on Unsplash |
When did you last look up at the stars?
Normally we can only see very few because of light pollution, but for Eva and I there was one night when that wasn't the case.
In November we went on holiday to a little cottage in Northumberland. It's a special place for us, with a lot of memories and this was a wonderfully quirky cottage, with a lot of character.
Whenever we've been to Northumberland in the past, cloudy nights had stolen our joy, but not this time!
There was one night, which was cold and crisp, clear and dark, and we saw them. These glittering jewels, more then we'd ever seen before and to top it off, I believe we even saw mere glimpses of the Milky Way.
It was one of those moments to just stop and stare and wonder. And yes, to be still and know that He is God.
So what does this have to do with writing you may cry? An excellent question, and one to which I have an answer.
I've been asked to write a piece about The Wonder of Christmas by the pastor of the church that Eva and I used to go to when we lived in Redhill in Surrey. Which is easier said then done.
Turkey, tinsel and TV specials are out, as are Santa, stuffing and Snowballs - the drinks that is, not the ones we chuck at each other.
No. It should be about the deeper wonder of Christmas, but I was still struggling, but one idea was simmering in my imagination soup - the idea that we are made of stardust. Yes, really. Those stars, that Eva and I gazed up at, that were created an insanely long time ago, have the same elements that are in us - carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen phosphorous and sulfur.
The astronomer Carl Sagan, expressed this in a far more entertaining way than I can. He said:
“The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of star stuff”.
– Carl Sagan
It would be wrong to say that discovering that the Magi may not have actually followed a star but may have followed a planetary conjunction instead, slightly spoiled my plans as it would have been nice to ended with one of the most famous stars of all, but never mind.
I've actually been thinking of writing a poem, which is one of the options, so we'll see. I have till the 15th so not long now. I'll let you know how I get on.
I'm going to end with a couple of verses from one of my favourite books in the Bible, the book of Job.
May you discover your own special type of wonder this Christmas...
“Can you catch the eye of the beautiful Pleiades sisters, or distract Orion from his hunt?
Can you get Venus to look your way, or get the Great Bear and her cubs to come out and play?
Do you know the first thing about the sky’s constellations and how they affect things on Earth?" Job 38:31-33
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Martin is a writer, baker, photographer and storyteller. He's been published in the ACW Christmas anthology and Lent devotional. He's currently honing his craft at flash fiction and you can find him on Twitter here. |
Delightful! And as I sit here in my dressing gown, baggy eyed, trying to get myself ready for another day, it's good to remember I am made from the same materials as stars! out here, we have little light pollution and we often gaze up at a clear sky full of stars. A beautiful reminder of what this time of year is really all about, Martin.
ReplyDeleteAwww, thank you, Ruth, that's very kind 😊 and I'm so glad it encouraged you.
DeleteBeautiful reflection. The clearest sky I ever saw was in the southern hemisphere - in New South Wales, Australia.
ReplyDeleteI bet that was amazing to see. Thank you :)
DeleteOh, those are lovely scriptures from Job! I love them too! I say a big AMEN to your prayer that we discover our own special wonder this Christmas! Very lovely post,thanks!
ReplyDeleteThat's very kind, Sophia, thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
DeleteBeautiful post Martin, and we love Northumberland too. Yes, stars are amazing. I'll never forget wheeling around under them with the family in the middle of the Turkish countryside. No lights for miles around. The stars were on fire. All the best with your piece. It will be great, I know it will.
ReplyDeleteAww, thank you, Deborah, that's very kind. I wrote it last night, now it's time to share it with a few people to see what they think.
DeleteI was brought up to star gaze, thanks to my astronomer dad. I never get over the wonder.
ReplyDeleteBest places we've looked upwards have been west coast of Scotland, where we spent several nights of a memorable holiday counting the Perseids. And in Switzerland, camping at Interlaken the year Europe had terrible floods and we were some of the only tourists who stayed, the arching globe of the sky just seemed bigger there, as the stars reflected in the water.
What an awesome gift your dad gave you, and your time in Scotland and Switzerland sound wonderful. Thank you for sharing, Liz.
DeleteI love that part of Job! What a great post and I look forward to your Christmas piece. X
ReplyDeleteI know! Those last few chapters are amazing. Thank you, Nikki. I wrote it last night, and just need to share it with a few people to see what they think, and then I'll send it to the church. Thanks again for your support x
DeleteThanks, Martin. It may interest you that I have just published an anthology of short stories and poems which I have entitled 'Stardust'. The name is based on the same principle that you refer to of all the heavier elements being created inside stars. You say you are coming up with your contribution by tomorrow. I would interested to read it!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Trevor. That is very interesting, and a great title for an anthology. If you share your email address with me then I can send it to you. I'll send you a message on Facebook.
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