A Lack of Stars

We presume to know what words mean and we don’t know enough Latin to pull words apart, dig out a definition and then to put them back together and, in the process, discover something new. I’d like to take the credit for this one, but it belongs elsewhere. We all know that a disaster is ‘a sudden accident or a natural catastrophe that causes great damage or loss of life.’

In Latin the ‘dis’ bit of it means "lack of, not". The ‘aster’ bit is ‘star’. A lack of stars. Over the centuries is has come to mean ‘ill-starred’ and brings in all the notions of astrology,  where the stars and the planets are at certain times and whether these configurations influence favourable circumstances or not. But let’s not go there. Let’s stick with ‘a lack of stars.’

Apparently in 2018 a Brownie ‘Space’ badge was introduced.  The aim was to ‘to spark girls’ curiosity to explore the universe around them by providing opportunities to develop the skills and confidence to engage in astronomy, planetary and space science.’

So what do you have to do to get it?

·       identify constellations on a clear night

·       create a sunspot viewer

·       plot a sunspot map

·       design an astronaut training programme.

I was born too late for this. This really sounds like it could be just up my street. And who says that, even at my late age, I can’t do these things and claim my badge, Brownie-posthumously?

It is Christmas and I have a star poem that fits in -

Star Light Star Bright

theologians and scholars,

scientists and astronomers,

debunkers of all things supernatural,

clamber over each other to

explain the appearance, or not, of

the star of Bethlehem

and its movement, or not, across

the night sky.

the question they miss

is not whether a

supernova, comet or

planetary conjunction

crossed the heavens,

but rather why

all the other stars didn’t.

when the Creator steps into His creation

who would not want to draw near

and watch?

‘A lack of stars’. In this day and age knowing star constellations is not necessary. There are phone apps to tell us all we need to know. Once, when people navigated by the stars, with their unshifting places in the night sky, there was a need. Stars were the fixed landmarks for a ship on the ocean, or a camel train in the desert. The stars were always there. A person could work out where they were by looking at the stars.

Imagine my own personal night sky or heaven. Who are my stars shining bright? I am blessed to have a whole heaven full of stars. As much as I had dreams of a hermit lifestyle once I retired, it didn’t happen. I joined groups. Artist groups. Writing groups. Knitting groups. Praying groups. Singing grups. Each group has added stars to my night sky, and I have a whole host of people I can consult. I am not alone in my night sky. If one star in my heaven is extinguished, I am not left in darkness.

What if, though, I am a star in someone else’s night sky? What if my presence in someone’s life brings a bit of wisdom, a bit of direction, a bit of comfort or challenge? And what if that someone else did not have lots of stars in their sky? What then if I blow myself out? An angry word perhaps. A patience that runs out? A failure to be gentle or compassionate? A choosing to stamp my feet and walk away? And the star that I am in their heaven gets extinguished and they are left in darkness?

It is a tremendous responsibility to be a star in someone’s heaven. It is not an easy job to give wisdom or direction, to bring comfort or set a challenge – it’s not easy being a star. Sometimes it is not what we ask for, not what we want, but the job comes to us as we connect with people and deepen friendships. I met a friend today who thanked me for the times I had encouraged them and lifted them up when they were down-hearted.

That makes me a star in their night sky and, as much as I feel a very inadequate star, I want to keep shining in their heaven.

Who are our stars? Let’s treat them so well that we never cause them to blow themselves out in frustration.

In whose night sky are we stars? Let’s embrace the gift we have been given to shine and not blow ourselves out with an angry word leaving them in darkness.