Star Gazing

Astronomers are suggesting that Jesus really was born on June 17 in 2 B. C. Using sophisticated software, and projecting back to the rough time-frame of the traditional birth of Jesus, they determined that a stellar event occurred that “was not the appearance of a single bright star, but a grand conjunction involving the brightest planets and one of the brightest stars in the sky.”

They aren’t saying this definitely was when Jesus was born, but if the Star of Bethlehem was a natural phenomenon, and not a disruption of nature by God, this could have been it.

Maybe that makes the celebration of Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere more accurate weather-wise. After all, people down there go to the beach on Christmas rather than huddle around a fireplace (either real or looped continuously on television for 24 hours) in a “winter wonderland.”

I’ve heard all of this before, and it seems plausible to me, as there is no mention in the Bible of a specific date for Jesus’ birth. In fact, some scholars maintain that Jesus really was born prior to 4 B. C. if Herod the Great was a player in the story, as portrayed in the New Testament, because he died around then. Apparently, that can be documented.

So, why December 25 for the celebration of Christmas? It has to do with darkness and light.

In the world of those who began marking a “birthday” for Jesus, his arrival into the world signaled a great Light breaking through the darkness of sin and the void between humanity and God. December’s astronomical patterns lend themselves, in the Northern Hemisphere, to the least amount of daylight during the year. The beginning of winter is a turning point, at which the darkness squeezes out most of the light. Then, gradually, the days lengthen, slowly but surely. More light begins to surround us.

The incarnation (God taking on human form and dwelling among us) is symbolized by this turning point. The Light of Christ can steer us on the path toward reconciliation with our Creator who loves us without qualification or end. What better time of year to remember all of this than when the blanket of darkness thrown over us begins to lift?

The blanket feels a little heavy these days, given all that is going on in our world. Some light sure would bring welcome relief.