Do you hear what I hear

I didn't realize the appropriateness of this song when I chose the verse for our Christmas card for this year.  It was only recently that I discovered that this song was written in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  The lyrics were written by Noel Regney, who had fought in WW II and was full of despair over the prospect of nuclear war with the Soviet Union.  He was walking through the streets of New York when he saw two mothers with infants in strollers looking sweetly at each other. His mood turned from despair to hope as he gazed upon these two little ones and his thoughts turned to babies & lambs.  By the time he arrived home, he had the lyrics for this iconic Christmas song in his head. 

“A Star, a Star dancing in the night with a tail as big as a kite, with a tail as big as a kite.”

 

We were lucky enough to experience a cool night with the stars up on top of a mountain during a road trip this past fall to Maine.  The road we traveled took us thru Pennsylvania and back in time to the somberness at Gettysburg. We then went further back in our nation’s history to Philadelphia, where we saw where more brave men were willing to risk their lives by signing the Declaration of Independence.  Our goal, however, was to get to Acadia National Park.  Neither of us had been to Maine before and we were enchanted by the charming little towns that dotted the seashore up the coast.  By chance we landed in Acadia National Park during the 9th Annual Star Festival. The city of Bar Harbor, various local businesses, and Acadia National Park combined efforts to host a Star Party on the summit of Cadillac Mountain.  We met at the local high school gym after dark, where we listened to a speaker who shared his joy of the heavens.  We were then bussed up to the top of the mountain and led up to the summit in darkness.  Rangers pointed out numerous constellations, shooting stars, and we had a front row seat to the Milky Way, which glowed across the entire night sky.  Because of the lack of light, the show was wonderful. 

 

As I sit down to write this, I am looking at a beautiful photo taken by the Hubble telescope.  The speaker at the High School shared his enthusiasm of the Hubble and showed us images that the Hubble has taken.  One he showed us and talked at length about was the image of a Star Formation Cloud.  As stars die and explode, the star matter collects in cloud like formations.  It is in these clouds that star matter collides with other star matter and eventually, in this conglomeration. a new star is born.  The colors in these star clouds are magical and Mark commented that it may be what happens to us after we leave this earth. Our souls collide and create something even more beautiful & majestic.  Our time here is short but hope prevails with the birth our Lord. 

 

Said the king to the people everywhere

Listen to what I say

Pray for peace people everywhere

Listen to what I say

The child, the child

Sleeping in the night

He will bring us goodness and light

He will bring us goodness and light.

 

May your days be blessed with peace and happiness.