On a clear night, look up at the starlit sky. Standing here on Earth, with your eyes looking out into the darkness of space, you could try to count the stars, one by one, but there are too many. You can’t count the stars any more than you can count the grains of sand on the beach, the drops of water in the ocean, or blades of grass in a broad field. The universe is so unimaginably vast, yet here you are, so small. (This planet alone seems incredibly huge when you are standing on such a little piece of it.) You could try to reach up to the stars, but that wouldn’t get you much closer.
The starry sky serve as an icon, a visual image that points us toward Mystery. The creation points toward the uncreated Creator. Your own human vision cannot penetrate into the depths of space from where you stand. When you encounter the Church and its Way, you encounter Mystery far beyond human reach and capacity to rationally understand. You cannot wrap your human mind around the Mystery. Wonder at the Mystery in silence. Bow before the Mystery in reverence. Keep in mind that whatever you see and you understand, there is far more that is unseen and transcends understanding. If you remember this truth, it will nurture humility in your soul.
Text copyright © 2017 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees