13th May 2014

Says my book on astronomy, that the name of the big reddish star in the constellation Orion, is Betelgeux (an Arabic name with some variations of spelling). And that this ancient star is so big, that it not only makes our sun look like the trial ignition of a newborn firefly, but that the whole orbit of the earth around the sun can be contained within its circumference. Not bad, for just some ‘twinkle twinkle’ in the night sky.

And yet says my Book on theology, that Betelgeux is no more than a little lantern in the hand of the One who is called the Alpha and Omega. No wonder the man Job, who had unwisely questioned the size of God, wisely dismounted his high horse and covered his mouth to hide lips that were blushing with shame (Job 38:31,32; 40:4). How big is God! How big is infinity and omnipotence? How big is unbounded and limitless? And how could such a Being be approached or addressed by us whose luminosity is microscopic and measured in nanowatts? Is it in fact possible?

It is, said one of our poets: “Hands that flung stars into space, to cruel nails surrendered”. By which he meant that it is through Jesus that the Author of this world may be known and loved. And by which he also meant that it is through Jesus that we may know that the love of God is stellar in magnitude and astronomical in size.

DM 13^th May 2014