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PSALM 8 IT’S IN THE STARS
Written by , Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia
1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
The awesomeness of God and the vastness of creation provide the proper backdrop for the evaluation of man. One gift that we have that was not available to previous generations is our ability to probe the universe, take pictures of distant galaxies and fix the place of earth, not only in our solar system, but in our corner of the universe. We have yet to determine the limits of our universe and the existence of parallel universes, let alone fully understand the magnificence of a God who could create all there is. So, how is it that we live as if we are all there is? We are like beggars who are content to stay in the streets and fight over the crumbs that fall off the bread wagon that is going to supply bread for a massive public banquet. If we would stop fighting for the crumbs and lording our victories over one another, we could follow the wagon and enjoy the full feast together.
To follow we would have to trust like children – look to the authority in our lives and obey even when we do not fully understand, because we know that One loves us. In following we have the cataracts of our own achievements removed and recover the vision of God’s magnificence. In following we return to a proper attitude of dependence through which we can receive. If humility is the state of knowing our proper relationship to others and the world, then acknowledging the incredible vastness of God and his creation and our place in it is the key to being in right relationship with him.
We may have the academic knowledge necessary to at least observe our smallness in the universe, but the medieval Christians had a daily reminder of their puny state. Every time they entered a cathedral, or even passes by, they experienced that they were just a tiny part of some massive whole. Such a transcendent space is a sacrament of God’s nature and ours. As we sit in our low ceiling auditoriums watching worship services designed according to marketing strategies, is it any wonder that we sing the words of the Psalmist but do not experience the shock and awe? Our services focus on the worshiper. Their function is to tell me about God rather than lead me into a life-transforming experience of God. Perhaps we all need to take a drive out into the country on a clear night, park the car, get out and try to count all the stars. Then ask, “Who am I that you, O Lord, should care about me?”
Father, my awe at your magnificence is immediately eclipse by my amazement at the immensity of your mercy that would first create, then bless, then redeem and make it possible for me to have an eternal relationship with you. May I join with all creation in proclaiming the majesty of your name. Amen.