In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?
For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.”
Matthew 2:1-2 NRSVue
A former parishioner, a local physician, is also an amateur astronomer and an accomplished photographer. I had him speak at a chapel service around the January 6th Feast of the Epiphany about his work and we tied it to the story of the Magi, astronomers and astrologers, in Matthew's gospel. Along the way he generously gave me this image he had captured. Because it must vie with so much other art in our home it is a guest bedroom, which doesn't seem fair, although we do have a reproduction of Van Gogh's Starry Night in the same room, so it is good company.
I have been describing my Advent endeavour to share art from our home in this Groundling blog as "outside in" rather than "inside out." Well, this photo is waaayyy out.
There is a growing body of research work about the impediment urban light pollution has on our ability to enjoy the splendour of the night sky. In some places celestial observatories have been reduced in their effectiveness and even closed because cities have grown up around them.There have been articles about the psychological and spiritual effects of not being able to see the "heavens above." Is it part of what makes us human to look skyward with fascination and humility. The world would be a better place if billionaires quit trying to prove that their rocket is bigger than the next guy's and just lie back on a Summer evening to appreciate what is above them.
I have written often about the awe and wonder factor of being able to see the Milky Way, meteor showers, and the Aurora Borealis during our forays away from populated areas when we are camping. In early September we were on an island off the northeast coast of Newfoundland -- truly out there -- and we were surprised one night when we stepped outside our lodging to see the Milky Way and were treated to the Northern Lights.
I regularly check the Natural Sounds and Dark Skies Division website of US National Parks -- such a great name! I'm pleased that a growing number of Canadian provincial and federal parks now have dark sky programs, including our beloved Killarney Provincial Park. On their website they explain:
In 2018, Killarney Provincial Park became Ontario’s first provincial park to be designated as a Dark Sky Preserve by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada!
We are committed to the protection and preservation of our province’s biodiversity. The night skies in their natural splendour are an important part of that protection.
I appreciate that I'm mashing up Advent and Epiphany and Christmas in some of these blogs and I think I hear the Advent Police pounding on my door. Before they break it down I'll also mention that through the years we sang Silent Night outside at the conclusion of Christmas Eve services. Some of those evenings the stars were brilliant above us and each of those occasions was truly a Holy Night.
https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1050/index.htm
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