A sign for the times

The Romans of Jesus' day were very superstitious. Aside from worshiping a pantheon of false gods, they also tried to read future events in nature. For example, they believed that a flock of birds flying a certain way was an omen. (You can see someone watching birds in this way in one of my posted videos, 'Julius Caesar', with the song 'Afer Ventus' by Enya. But for all the things they claimed to tell from the sky, they missed the big one. The only real one. I often wonder what the Romans in Palaestina thought about that suddenly bright new star that appeared in the sky that miraculous evening. They probably just thought it was a curious stellar event and nothing more. But the events of that one night left an indelible mark on history. It revamped history. Everything before and after it suddenly pointed to that miraculous birth. No other single event in all of history besides Jesus' death and ressurection accomplished that.
For many today, they ascribe meaning to this holiday, maybe in a way not so different as the pagans did to that star. It is a fun holiday, a memorable holiday, an amazing holiday, but it is also so very very much more! It is a celebration of the one who has changed our lives and our world, who has brought us hope. And it all started with a bright star.