Witness in the Sky
I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, ‘I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through all generations.’”. . .
“Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
and I will not lie to David— that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun; it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.” – Psalm 89:1-4, 35-37
Creator of the stars of night,
Your people’s everlasting light,
O Christ, Redeemer of us all,
We pray you hear us when we call.
Evening Hymn for Advent, Eighth century
The More Loving One
Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.
How should we like it would stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be
Let the more loving one be me.
Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.
Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.1
W.H. Auden
Pray
Everlasting God,
whose tenacious love holds us:
make our hearts the house of your truth,
and make our minds the realm of your wisdom
so that our fellowship will become your dwelling place,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Go deeper
Find the darkest (and safest) place you can stand to look at the night sky. Contemplate that the Lord God, Creator of the Universe, Creator of ALL that is, made you and loves you to your innermost being.
- From Homage to Clio by W. H. Auden, published by Random House. 1960.