Thought for Today
Psalm 8:3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; 4 what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? 5 Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor.
Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Yesterday was the final Sunday in our liturgical year. Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent. This morning, as I prepare my mind for Advent worship, I am thinking about Star Trek. “The franchise began with Star Trek (The Original Series), which premiered on September 6, 1966, on Canada's CTV network. In the United States, it debuted on September 8, 1966, on NBC. The series followed the voyages of the crew of the starship USS Enterprise, a space exploration vessel built by the United Federation of Planets in the 23rd century, on a mission ‘to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.’" (en.wikipedia.org)
One of the more memorable characters on the original television show was the Chief Science Officer, Mr. Spock, not to be confused with Dr. Spock. “Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. Portrayed by Leonard Nimoy, he is one of the three central characters in the original Star Trek series (1966–69), alongside Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley). On that series, Spock served as first officer and science officer of the starship Enterprise. Spock's mixed human–Vulcan heritage serves as an important plot element in many of the character's appearances. As one of the most popular Star Trek characters, Spock has made return appearances in many later installments of the franchise.” (en.wikipedia.org) “Vulcans, sometimes referred to as Vulcanians, are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species . . . They are noted for their strict adherence to logic and reason and suppression of emotion.” (en.wikipedia.org)
Why would I associate Advent with Star Trek, and especially with the character Spock? Especially when the word ‘logic’ appears nowhere in the Bible! I think it is in part because of that question posed by the psalmist. It is in part because I have always wondered about those first 6 words in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world.”
The psalmist was undoubtedly correct, we were created “a little lower than God,” although at times some of us seem to forget the “little lower” part. We have repeatedly gone astray from the path God intended. The Old Testament is full of examples, the Tower of Babel, Sodom & Gomorrah, Noah and the Flood, the seemingly inexhaustible list of the various kings of Judah and Israel who were “evil in the sight of the LORD.”
The logic of Spock and the Vulcans would suggest that at some point, irrespective of the fact that “Genesis 2:7 the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being,” God would just give up on the whole endeavor and start all over again.
Logic would snort in destain at the definition of faith we read in Hebrews, “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” The logic of mathematics and science only accepts the conviction of things both seen and proven.
In many ways, Advent is the antithesis of logic. Advent is, however, the demonstration of faith. Advent is the proof positive the John’s words about God’s love. Advent is the affirmation of humanity as God’s own breath of life, of God’s love for God’s creation and God’s creatures.
For 2025 years Advent has been the beginning of “John 1:3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Or, to quote Mr. Spock, Advent is God’s own assurance of, “Live long and prosper.”
Stay safe, relish the joy of Advent, trust God,
Pastor Ray