The Greek philosopher Plato, evoking Socrates, said: “Wonder is the beginning of knowledge”. The biblical statement “Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom”( Proverbs 9:10) is very similar.
The human ability to experience amazement at whatever they see is the first source of all philosophy, literature, science, mathematics and technology until today . The best way to wonderment is to gaze at the starry sky.
Faith also starts with wonder. Abraham (Abram)was very sad and desperate that he had no children. He shut himself up in his humiliating lack of self worth. But “ God took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’” (Genesis 15:5).
Star-gazing saved Abram’s life, rooted him in faith and made him the father of nations. His children were to be “ as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore” ( Genesis 15:5).
This expression is still being used in modern astronomy to indicate that the number of stars in our universe is uncountable even with very advanced telescopes. Carl Sagan, well known astronomer who was passionate about finding life outside the planet Earth, used to say that for every grain of sand on earth there are 10,000 stars in the sky.
Stargazing is one of the most ancient passions of highly intelligent mathematicians and astronomers, particularly in countries like present Iraq, and Iran (Persia). There are amazing observations about constellations of stars in the book of Job.
Our modern instruments like the Hubble telescope and the more advanced and complex James Webb Space Telescope continue to explore the universe, revealing new galaxies with billions of stars in every galaxy. This process is never complete because the universe is inflationary and is expanding with ever accelerating speed. Our contemporary astronomers will tell us with some humility that we know only a little trace, about 4 or 5 percent, of what is there. We are unable even to imagine what lies beyond. The number of stars they estimate on the basis of the number of galaxies is very approximate and uncertain. Does it mean anything to us when they say stars could be
1 septillion or
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000?
Stars have always been the guiding lights for the navigators on uncertain seas. A special star guided the three Persian magi to the newborn infant Jesus.
Stars can influence life on Earth with gravitational and electromagnetic forces as well as with various cosmic rays. Bbut the great Christian teachers never subscribed to the astrological belief that human destiny is decided by stars, planets and their movements.
Instead, they affirmed human free will guided by the discerning Spirit of God as decisive for shaping our history and destiny.
Jesus routinely departed from the crowd in the evenings and gazed at the starry night sky over Galleon landscapes.
Likewisewe if we dare to practise meditative stargazing whenever possible we will be enabled to share, even in a meager measure, the mystery of the star-decked universe and the gracious providence of our heavenly Father.
- KMG
(6 March 2026)