“Daddy, how many stars are in space?” “Daddy, what’s a conjunction?” “Daddy, how big is God?” Just before Christmas there was a flood of non-stop questions coming from my kids as we peered into the night’s sky through a set of old binoculars to catch a glimpse of the so-called “Christmas Star” of 2020. That astronomical event of Saturn and Jupiter coming together on winter solstice not only gave a lot of people a sense of hope and peace at the end of a difficult year, but it inspired me to recapture that child-like wonder with the infinite God who hung the planets (Gen. 1:14-19), named every star (Ps. 147:4) and is Lord over the swirling galaxies and constellations (Job 38:31).
Let’s review some facts for a moment, bear with me. Scientists tell us that a light-year is the distance that light can travel through space in a year, which is 5.9 trillion miles. Obviously, we have no earthly reference for that. For example, the distance around the Earth is only 24,900 miles; the moon is 238,900 miles from earth; and the sun is 93 million miles from earth.
A light-year may stretch our minds, but it makes the following facts even more astounding. The Milky Way galaxy in which we inhabit is huge. It contains between 100-400 billion stars and has a diameter of about 105,000 light-years. That means if you could travel at light speed in a spaceship it would take you over 100,000 to go from one end of the Milky Way to the other. And yet, astronomers tell us that the Milky Way is part of what is known as Laniakea Supercluster, a collection of 100,000 galaxies, like the Milky Way which stretches over 520-million light-years! Moreover, NASA estimates there are some 10 million superclusters like the Laniakea in the known universe. How’s that for some perspective? Are you feeling small yet?
Is it any wonder that David, wrote in Psalm 8, “3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?” God is bigger than the universe He created and yet He knows the number of days you will live (Ps. 139:16), every hair on your head (Luke 12:7) and is aware of every tear you cry (Ps. 56:8). Theologically, we would say that both God is transcendent and imminent. He holds the galaxies in His palm and is as near to us as the next breath (Acts 17:27).
Author Ellen Vaugh gave this insight, “Exploring the starry fields of God’s creation causes us to live on the edge of wonder. It scratches at a deep-down, curious itch. Just how limitless is the Being who made all this with such ease? Thus, the echoes of the Big Beginning and the unspooling of time lure us to worship the Creator who flung everything into existence, to sense our own smallness, and to both fear and trust in One so huge. We can savor each little earth-day we are given because His care and glory can infuse every moment we live down here.”[1]
I am reminded of a scene from C.S. Lewis’ fictional tale Prince Caspian. Lucy revisits the enchanted world inside wardrobe and meets Aslan the lion (who is intended to symbolize Christ). Aslan says, “Welcome child.” “Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.” “That’s because you are older, little one,” answered he. “Not because you are?” The lion replied, “I am not. But every year that you grow, you will find me bigger.”[2] Think of that—only God is big enough to perpetually fill your heart with wonder. As the years roll on, and we mature in our understanding of God, the bigger He becomes to us.” As we go into this new year may we pray as John the Baptist did, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). -DM
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