A telescope being repaired in space may be an unlikely spiritual metaphor.
It is an image worth pondering, however, particularly during the season Christians focus on and
follow -- figuratively, at least -- a star to Bethlehem.
Quite literally, of course, the recent repair of the Hubble Space Telescope was one of the most
remarkable accomplishments of the space age. During a four-day period, astronauts fixed the crippled
instrument by replacing faulty components as large as refrigerators and grand pianos.
No one, however, so far as we know, has pointed out how the space repair's aim was a modern-day
extension of an age old hope: To peer deeply into the heavens, perhaps to the very edges of the
universe--even, as ancient legend would have it, into the eyes of God.
We say to daring astronauts, exotic space scientists, ordinary stargazers and seekers from all
walks of life; "Go for it." Fix your telescopes. Sharpen your focus. Peer as deeply into the heavens
as your sight and your insight will allow.
No doubt the world could stand to have its vision improved and expanded. Wherever one looks these
days, things seem out of focus, sometimes dangerously so. Does anyone see with convincing clarity
a way to deal with some of society's most pressing problems such as violent crime, homelessness,
inequitable health care, drug abuse, and teen pregnancy? The list goes on.
One might wish for a Human Hubble, a powerful telescope that, turned upon the human race, could do
what's hoped of the Space Hubble, namely to expose for observation and study the nature and origin
of matters that perplex us. If only we could get to the bottom of it all. Seeing the bottom of it
all, of course, is part of what the birth of Jesus is all about and why Christians justly make a
big deal of Christmas.
When word became flesh, human life was revealed for what it is: A trust so sacred that God chose
to become part of it and to participate in its joys and its sufferings. We believe that much of
the world's vision problem could be improved if the Incarnation's truth were clearly proclaimed
and practiced, beginning right where we live.
Who among us would not see our families, our friends, our enemies, and ourselves with redemptive
vision if we truly believed that, as we look into each other's eyes, we also peer--dare we say
it--into the eyes of God?
Whether it is wise men following a Star or bright men and women, focusing a telescope toward the
stars, we're reminded of the same vision-changing reality: Christmas is a way of seeing.
