The thing that most stands out to me about stars is not that they are pointy, the way we draw them in kindergarten, or that they twinkle, like in the song. No, what stands out to me is that you can really only see them at night. Occasionally, right after sunset, you can see one or two of the brightest stars, but otherwise you must wait until well after dusk to see the full panoply of them. And even then you have to be far away from the light pollution of a big city to enjoy their true splendor.

It is in the dark that these bright anomalies shine; glimmering pinpricks of light in the vast black void of space. The darker the sky, the more stars you see. Not because there are suddenly more of them, but because they are contrasted more fully with the surrounding inky nothingness. Even the dimmest stars become beacons.

“Those who have wisdom will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel‬ ‭12‬:‭3,‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

In a dark world, followers of Jesus are supposed to shine like these stars. We are meant to contrast ourselves with the gloom, fear, despair, and hatred of our society. We do this by reflecting the love and hope of Jesus. His brilliant love pours out of me into my community, lighting up my little corner.

The wonderful thing is that the darker the world becomes, the more apparent His love becomes, when displayed through His people. Just a little love distributed today becomes a beacon of hope in the inky nothingness. And I am not alone but joined by billions of other beacons of Jesus’s light of love.

Dear God, thank you for the example of your kingdom displayed in the awesome night sky. Teach me how to be one of the bright lights of love in this dark world. Remind me to shine this little light of mine and not to fear the dark but to be encouraged by the others I see shining brightly around me.