essay / introspection When I look Into The Night Sky…I See Us

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“What do I think about when I look into the night skies?”

When I look up at night, I am grateful for where I live. You see, when you view the night sky from towns and cities it is diluted out by the surrounding lights that come with populated areas. I, however, have an unobstructed view of the night sky in all of its glory. I live an hour NW of the Fort Collins, CO area where my neighbors are the wild creatures that roam the forests we border. Because of the nature that surrounds me I get to see layers upon layers of the sky with the stars so bright you don’t need street lights to see where you are placing you feet. Every night they are there. Their consistency and steadfastness are things I count on. Similar qualities to those we expect from the people that surround us.

When I look up at the sky at night, first and foremost I see God. I see the incredible beauty of the world He has created; I see the great vastness of the sky and wonder where it ends. Is Heaven beyond that? And I am awed at the idea of traveling through the night sky one day on my journey to heaven. I also see the complexities of how it all works together and at the same time simplicity of how it all fits… the moon, the stars, the earth and everything else that rotates around what we call our world.

And then, I see me. And you. And every other person in this world. I think of each one of those stars representing a person here on earth. The stars exist in unity in the night sky and I wonder why we humans can’t do the same. There are many miles that separate all the corners of the world. They separate countries, cultures, people, beliefs, ideas and societies. Yet, we all look at the same night sky. We all see the same stars and the same constellations. I believe that God intended for all of us to accept one another, respect each other- their beliefs and their cultures. I look to the night sky as an example of how beautiful earth could be if we behaved like the stars. If we used them as an example of co-existing in harmony think what we could be! That doesn’t mean that we will always agree. That would be unrealistic and quite boring actually. As one person I can do little, but with many-like the stars- we could change the world! If we could just reach up and capture the beauty of space, mimic it’s unity and nurture an atmosphere of acceptance we could work together to solve so many issues that face the world today. And in the process, protect this planet and its night skies so that everyone can see the magnificent beauty that we take for granted and that it will be here for all those that come tomorrow. And maybe, just maybe, they will see their own reflection shining back at them.

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