The Beauty of Stars and the Mystery of Love

Only when it gets really dark do the stars come out. It is natural to seek shelter from the cold night. But a sheltered life cannot offer the beauty of stars or the mystery of love. It is easy to lose touch with that part of ourselves that is made to be wild and that needs the extremes of the wilderness in order to be really alive. But it’s not hard to reconnect. Just outside, just beyond the tungsten fire’s circle, where it looks darkest, are hidden universes beautiful and inspiring beyond imagination. Life and love are calling.

It is only when we let go of worrying about ourselves that we can leave behind a life constrained by fear and experience for the first time what it means to really live: to give without thought of return, to love even our enemies, to respond to violence in ways that are creative and life affirming. No matter how many years we’ve been on the planet, it isn’t until we’ve grown beyond self-concern that we can begin to experience what life is all about - which is to love everyone with abandon, to serve the neediest, to celebrate what is wonderful and beautiful, and to respond with a heart full of love to the One Who Loves Us Wholeheartedly.

“Whoever tries to preserve their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life will make it really alive” — Jesus (Luke 17:33).

Last night (March 4th, 2019) I watched Orion fly over South Cannon Beach, Oregon. (Fuji X-T3, f 6.4, 30 seconds, ISO 3200, XF 10-24 @ 10mm, LR adjustments)