Is the Fault in Our Stars

BEYOND THE LECTIONARY

We know about the problem of artificial light pollution. An added concern is that this light pollution is not just coming from Earth — It’s coming from the sky itself! Long ago, the magi saw a light in the sky — not pollution, but the portent of a royal birth.

For generations unnumbered, human beings have searched the night sky for meaning. Our ancestors discerned the forms of animals, heroes and gods in clusters of stars. Some went even further, imagining that the alignment of stars and planets on babies’ birthdays somehow hinted at what their lives would be like.

That’s very likely what caused the magi of Matthew 2 to journey to Judea. Whether or not they were priests of Persia’s ancient Zoroastrian religion, as some suspect, it seems clear they were also astrologers. Matthew’s account of the star moving, then hovering over Bethlehem is likely his astronomically-naive account of an astrological reading (this is not to say, of course, that the Bible puts any stock in astrology: Matthew seems to understand the star’s behavior as a miracle rather than celestial science).

Humanity’s ancient and enduring fascination with the starry heavens could soon be endangered, though. The culprit: light pollution....