It was the shaking that woke me, short, sharp and pushing sideways.
‘It’s just a small one’ –I reassured myself, already drifting back to sleep.
Then-thwack! This time I tapped the bedside light, sat up and discovered the ‘quake’ was my Australian Terrier jumping against the bed. I was more than a little peeved!
‘Really Lily!’ I scolded ‘Surely you don’t need to go out now, it’s two o’clock. Can’t you wait? Are you sure?’
Lily sat very still, her unwavering stare fixed on my face. To her the time was immaterial; but yes she was sure and no -she couldn’t wait!
With somewhat poor grace I fumbled for my dressing gown and slowly pulled on and laced my sneakers, still half asleep. Lily tried to encourage me with a few tail wags. I gathered up my jacket and beanie and sorted around in her box –where was her lead?–aha-we found it! Stuffing my phone into my pocket, we shuffled out into the night.
Then I looked up.
Suspended in the inky darkness above, the stars radiated almost a pearly luminescence as they twinkled in the silent night. Each one just a little different from the next – so close I felt I could touch them. I was completely stilled by the magnificence and stood there for some time almost overwhelmed. It was the ‘Touch of the Master’s Hand.’
Eventually, somewhat reluctantly, I headed back indoors with Lily; grumpiness gone.
I have lived in Christchurch for 55 years and have never seen such a night sky here before-there is usually too much ‘light pollution’.
The hymn that almost immediately came to mind was ‘How Great Thou Art”. This is said to be one of the most popular hymns of all time, second only to “Amazing Grace”.
HOW GREAT THOU ART
O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the Works thy Hand has made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed
Then sings my soul my Saviour God to thee,
how great thou art, how great thou art
Then sings my soul my Saviour God to thee,
how great thou art, how great thou art
When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
and see the brook and feel the gentle breeze
Then sings my soul my Saviour God to thee,
how great thou art, how great thou art
Then sings my soul my Saviour God to thee,
how great thou art, how great thou art
And when I think of God his Son not sparing,
sent Him to die I scarce can take it in
That on the Cross my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin
Then sings my soul my Saviour God to thee,
how great thou art, how great thou art
Then sings my soul my Saviour God to thee
how great thou art, how great thou art
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation,
and lead me home what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow with humble adoration,
and then proclaim my God how great thou art
Then sings my soul my Saviour God to thee,
how great thou art, how great thou art
Then sings my soul my Saviour God to thee,
how great thou art, how great thou art
(Acknowledgement; based on a poem written by Carl Boberg, Sweden, 1885)
(From the Editor – watch / listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc0QVWzCv9k )
I know there are quite a few references to stars in the Bible. These are two that came to my mind:
Genesis 1: 14-18 ‘And God said, let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light to the earth. And it was so. God made two great lights-the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.’
Psalm 8: 3-4 (A Psalm of David) ‘When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honour.’
Annabel Tapper