If you read an ancient history (as in, something written by who we would consider an ancient about stuff even more ancient), you’ll find that almost every really important historical figure has some cosmic event recorded as surrounding his birth or death. It would have been odd if there weren’t.
Because of that, it makes perfect sense that so much attention is given to the star that appeared when Jesus was born and to the darkness and earthquake that surrounded his death.
A lot of times, Christians aren’t sure how to view these things. We’re willing to accept them for Jesus, of course, but everyone else . . .?
I look at it this way–we believe God created the universe, right? And we believe that he orchestrates history. We believe that he put each leader in power for a purpose, even if that purpose isn’t godly. So why is it a stretch to say that his nature reflects his plan for history?
I love reading about how creation responded to Jesus. The star that heralded his birth, how the wind and sea obeyed him, the darkness and earthquake at his death. To me, it speaks to the total majesty of this God, this Savior I serve.
Yes, people have perverted it by turning it into mystical attempts to know the future–but that can be said about most things rooted in Truth. Our feeble minds latch onto something and twist it until it becomes a picture we better like or understand.
I think that in ancient history, back before modern science ruled the day and CG dominated the screen and made us doubt everything we think we see, people were more willing to believe in miracles and cosmic events.
Another example is dreams (though they may not be exactly “cosmic.”) Lots of historical and Biblical people had dreams that portended what was to come. The example I touch on in Stray Drop is Pilate’s wife. We all know the story, that she dreamed her husband should not be involved in Jesus’s death, hence the wash-his-hands-of-it thing. I opted to have Abigail view it with cynicism, because Pilate’s wife (in my version–not documented in reality, LOL) always claimed to have portentous dreams.
This time, she really did.
And that, in my mind, is the coolest thing. That God showed so many people in so many different way what he was doing. He spoke to Jews and Gentiles, Romans and Greeks, young and old. And all his creation recognized the glory of it.
Return to Companion Guide