Thou Art the Star – August 01, 1999
Of all the wonders of the natural world, perhaps none intrigues us more than the stars. As children, we hear the nursery rhyme “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” known in many languages. A few years later we learn to make a wish on the first star seen of an evening. Around the world, on clear evenings, people look up at the stars and contemplate their beauty, possibilities, and great distance. Poems and music celebrate the splendor and mystery of these lights in our firmament. For centuries travelers have navigated over land and sea using the stars as reckoning points.
And yet, the most compelling fact about the stars we see is that they may no longer be there. According to astronomers, when we gaze at a star a thousand light-years away from us, what we actually see is that star as it appeared a thousand years ago. The point of light we see has taken those thousand light-years to travel through space to our eyes. We have no way of knowing what the star looks like today, or if it even exists. It may have burned itself out hundreds of years ago.
If a star, composed of mineral solids and gases, can influence and inspire us so long after its demise, who can estimate the impact of a human life, with its spark of divine spirit?
We all yearn to make a difference. Many of us wonder just what kind of legacy we will leave behind. Very few of us will make great discoveries, build grand cities, or create lasting art. Especially if we have lived quiet lives in out-of-the-way places, performing the basic duties of work, family, and citizenship, we may decide our one small life doesn’t matter all that much.
The stars remind us otherwise. Long after we have left this mortal existence, our small acts of kindness, devotion, and love will shine on and on. Our deeds will radiate for good, not only in the lives of those we touched first-hand but also of those we have influenced indirectly. Our light, great or small, could well be the very star that guides someone further along on his soul’s immortal journey.
Program #3650