Dear Friends,
Today (January 6) is the feast of Epiphany, a day that has me thinking about the poetry of stars. When I was in seminary, I read my first star poem– “Take Something Like a Star” by Robert Frost, and since then I’ve found others. My favorite is probably “Star” by Adam Zagajewski, but returning to my first star poem, at the end of “Take Something Like a Star”, Frost suggests that the most beautiful star in the sky asks of us that
…when at times the mob is swayed
To carry praise or blame too far,
We may take something like a star
To stay our minds on and be staid.
Those words have been on my mind lately as I think about the current acceleration of the COVID-19 pandemic. We all know there has been a spike in COVID cases, many of which probably can be traced to unwise decisions around gathering with friends and family during Thanksgiving and Christmas. As things get worse (and they will get worse–we haven’t yet seen cases spread during New Year’s Eve soirees) it is easy to carry praise and blame too far, to feel smug or to feel guilty, to take credit or to cast blame, none of which is actually productive.
Instead of carrying praise or blame too far, what we need is to stay our minds on the common goal–the bright star–of defeating the coronavirus. That means we must strengthen ourselves for the bold and courageous work of staying home whenever possible, of wearing masks, of keeping distant, and of getting ourselves vaccinated as soon as possible. Neither self-flagellation nor self-satisfaction help move us forward as a people, nor does scolding. What we need is a common sense of determination and a commitment to mutual support.
So, may this be our star: the joyful anticipation of COVID’s demise. And just as the Magi followed a star to Bethlehem, let us stay our minds on this star and may it lead us to a place where renewed hope and the joy of unmasked fellowship may be born among us.
God’s Peace,
Ben
P.S. To read “Take Something Like a Star” by Robert Frost, visit: https://camillasenglishpage.org/wp-content/uploads/literature/poems/Take-Something-Like-a-Star-Robert-Frost.pdf
To read “Star” by Adam Zagajewski, visit: https://imaginingthecity.wordpress.com/2014/05/16/star-by-adam-zagajewski/