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9 DECEMBER THE HOPE OF THE STAR This star drew nigh to the northwest, O'er Bethlehem it took its rest; And there it did both stop and stay Right over the place where Jesus lay. Matthew 2:1-11 For many, nothing represents the season of Christmas more than the beautiful lights that adorn trees, houses, and streets. While dazzling in themselves, they remind us of the star that guided the Magi. The star of Bethlehem has always symbolized light in the darkness, hope in a lost and fearful world. When the first Noël took place, it gave light to a world under the power of a pagan empire and organization that had little room for the Jewish religion of the family into which Jesus was born. Later, it would punish the Christians who followed the faith that Jesus would proclaim, die for, and rise again. In ancient times the star represented the sign of a god or goddess. This was true in the lands from which the Magi came. Here this symbol of the divine announced the true Son of God, the only god who came into the world to bring the life of God, eternal life, to the world. Jesus Christ was born to overcome the false and empty faiths that humanity had created. He came to bring the light of hope into the world, a hope that announced the redemption of all who were dying in sin. This was a hope that turned upside down what was happening. Here a vulnerable newborn in a forgotten village at a backwater corner of the world's greatest empire would lead the way to personal salvation for all and the return to God's kingdom. Today, more than ever, it is our hope and our privilege to receive and to proclaim this message. Many are living in fear because of the uncer tainty of the world around us. The bir th of the Son of God does not guarantee that the conditions of the world will get better right away. Rather, like the light of the star that gave new hope, the presence of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sends can give us a hope and a mission to follow the star and the One it represents. It can give a special meaning to the wonderful decorations of lights that shine during this season. Richard Hess, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages The First Noel Published by Davies Gilbert (1823), composer unknown