March 28
Astronomy is the science of observing and understanding the vast expanses of space. It is a science because it deals with observable objects and facts based on the what those objects are seen doing. Astrology, on the other hand, is the supposed science of determining ones fate based on the behaviour of the starry firmament. Apparently the well trained astrologist can determine a lot about a person and their life based on the placement of stars with relation to a person’s birth date and other related observable facts.
Now, from my personal observation of people’s lives, I’ve concluded that there is little, if anything that can be predicted by Astrology. For instance, I happen to be a Capricorn according to astrologists and that makes me a certain type of person. Trouble is, a friend of mine, who happens to share my birthdate, is an equally wonderful person but also happens to be completely different from me. According to the astrologers that shouldn’t happen. We should share certain basic personality traits, but according to reality, it just ain’t so.
The trouble with so called sciences like astrology, as far as I can figure it out, is that they’re facts are far more guesswork than truth. Human beings are born of two parents of differing genetic makeup which results in a totally random new being. Astrology, on the other hand, depends on the predictability of the starry sky’s behaviour. How one can conclude that the children born of an Italian father and a mother whose origins are spread across Great Britain (that would be my own children, Anna and David) will follow certain patterns based on the motion of the stars is quite beyond me. In fact, from what I’ve seen, it’s also beyond Astrology, because my kids are who they are, and not very much like their astrological signs at all.
My children and in fact all children, no matter what age they might be, are not the products of a star’s location in relation to other stars, but of God. Each of us are unique gifts that are uniquely gifted based on what our parents bring to the table, and what God determines we should be. Other than every one of us being made to be wonderful and incredible human beings, there is no way to predict what a child might be like. The starry skies might follow regular patterns, but for the most part, we human beings don’t. It’s just not part of God’s plan that we should be cookie-cutter creations.
I would be nice if I could predict how my kids will turn out. It would be nice to know what to look forward to in my own life. On the other hand, I think it would be pretty boring to simply follow a set course. Part of the thrill of our God-given life is it’s very unpredictability. Sure, I know that if I live my right I’ll have a better chance of getting into heaven than if I don’t. I don’t think living according the stars would help me in that area at all. When all is said and done, I would rather trust in God’s help in my getting there that rely on the stars in heaven. After all, they too are God’s creation and they too follow His will, not their own, so I would rather look to Him rather than to His creation for the help and guidance I need. At least that’s the way I see it.

March 21st
Theater Kent, the theater company that offer me so much fun, had the honour of having it’s most recent play, “The Elephant Man” being selected for a regional competition. That meant a road trip for our little company. We loaded all the stuff into a borrowed truck then made the four or five hour trek (it was much quicker in a car) all the way to our host theatre, the Roxy in Owen Sound.
Moving to a new location was, to say the least, rather stressful. While the trip itself was pretty relaxing, the actual set up in the new theatre was a great deal of work. The physical stuff wasn’t so bad. Shlepping stuff from the truck to the stage wasn’t so bad. It was physical work made easy by the banter of a group of people that worked well together and enjoyed each other’s company. Adapting the set and everything else required to make our play work was another, not so pleasant, story. Even minor differences in the layout and lighting of the new theatre were a big deal. Our Stage Manager had to rethink just about everything in order to make things work, which meant it took a long, long time to get ready.
That long, long prep time was, for me at least, rather stressful, because the more time we spent doing technical stuff, the less time we had to practice our lines and actions. It all worked out in the end, and the play was a hit, but it got me to thinking about how much work and it took to get ready compared to how much time we actually spent on stage. In fact, we spent almost twelve hours getting ready for a two hour show, just because we changed venues. That’s not counting the countless hours we had spent rehearsing and preparing for the show ahead of time. It just about makes you crazy thinking about the amount of time involved in making a show like that succeed, but that’s the way it is. A lot of time and effort go into making even the smallest things work well.
Think about how much time and effort God puts into each of our lives. Think about the history that preceded the writing of the 10 Commandments, or the effort involved in raising Christ from the dead. It’s awe inspiring when you consider what God has done and continues to do on our behalf. Even though our lives are pretty short compared to God’s infinite timeline, and even though the impact of our lives is pretty minor compared to what God can accomplish, He still takes the time to make the effort on our behalf.
None of us is to unimportant for our Heavenly Father. No life is without meaning even if it only lasts a few minutes. We might not realize it, but God puts an equal effort into each of us. What differs is our reaction to that effort. Some folks recognize His work and do their best to honour it while some deny He has any part in their lives. Those who deny Him will have a long, empty and tedious afterlife. Those who recognize and honour God, on the other hand, will see their efforts pan out in a beautiful, heavenly relationship that will last an eternity, but I’m sure will seem like an instant. At least that’s the way I see it.