“Thesemenarethosewhoarehiddenreefsinyourlovefeastswhentheyfeastwithyou withoutfear,caringforthemselves;cloudswithoutwater,carriedalongbywinds;autumntrees withoutfruit,doublydead,uprooted;wildwavesofthesea,castinguptheirownshamelikefoam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever” (Jude 12,13).
Perspective“Wanderingstars”isactuallyacontradictioninterms.FromtheperspectiveofhumansonEarth,starsdonotmove, muchlesswander.Thisisonedifferencebetweenthemand planets.Starsarestationary;planetsmove.Infact,theword, “planet,”comesfromtheGreekword,planetēs,whichmeans, “wanderer.”Unlikeplanets,starsremainfixedintheirplaces, andsomuchsothatmarinerssettheircoursesbytheirreliable locations in the sky.Why,then,doesJudedescribethesemenas“wandering stars”?Perhapstheirbrillianceleadsotherstobelievethatthey are“stars,”butiftheykeeptheireyesonthemlongenough, theywillnoticethattheyhavechangedpositions.Theymight initiallyseemattractiveandreliable,butwhentheybecome betterknown,onediscoversthattheyarenolongerspiritually wheretheyoncewere.They“havewanderedawayfromthe faith” (1 Tim. 6:10). They are just “planets.”However,anevendeepertruthisthatstarsthemselves havetheirownindependentmovement,evenapartfromthat whichtheyseemtohavefromtherotationandrevolutionof Earth.Itjustappearsthattheyarestationary,becausetheyare somuchfartherawaythanplanets.Theonlyplanetswhichcan beseenbythenakedeyeliewithinthissolarsystemand relativelyclosetotheEarth.Stars,ontheotherhand,aresofar awaythattheirdistancefromEarthismeasuredinlight-years, whilethedistanceofplanetsfromEarthismeasuredinmiles.Nevertheless,starsaresofarawaythathumanscannotdetect theirmovement.Theyseemfixedinplace.Thisiscalledthe parallaxeffect.Inthisphenomenon,thecloserobjectsareto theviewer,thefastertheyseemtomove,andviceversa.Toa driver,mountainsinthedistancewillhardlyseemtomove, while the trees on the side of the road appear to zoom past.Thisillustratesandemphasizestheimportanceof perspective.Thecloserpeoplegettosomething,themorethey perceiveitasitreallyis.Thisprincipleisrecognizedin proverbslike“walkamileinanother’sshoes”or“familiarity breeds contempt.”Toputitsimply,distancechangesperspective.For instance,manydonotunderstandorliketheBible.Tothem,it appearsthattheBiblehasmanyflawsandnothingtocommend itselftothemasworthyoftheirconsideration,butthismight onlybebecausetheyhavekepttheirdistancefromit.They havenevergottencloseenoughtogiveitacarefulandfair evaluation.Perhapstheylistentooreadilytoothers’criticisms ofitwithoutlookingatitforthemselves.Yet,iftheywould justgivethemselvesanopportunitytogettoknowtheBible “upcloseandpersonal,”theymightcomeawaywithamuch more favorable impression of it.Itisalsotruethatpeoplecanmoreaccuratelyassess thosetheygettoknow.Peopleoftenbecomemore understandingandsympathetictowardothersandlosetheir prejudices,iftheyareputinsituationswheretheyhavetowork withthemandrelyonthem.Undersuchcircumstances,even enemiesmightdiscoverhowmuchtheyhaveincommon,or thattheothersarenotwhattheythought,andbefriendone another.However,iftheyputspacebetweeneachotherand maintaintheirdistance,thisallowsthemtoharbor misimpressions about each other.OnecanneverhaveaproperperspectiveonGodaslong ashekeepsHimatadistance.AsPaulputittotheAthenians, Godmadehumansso“thattheyshouldseekGod,ifperhaps theymightgropeforHimandfindHim,thoughHeisnotfar fromeachoneofus”(Acts17:27).Indeed,Heisascloseasthe Bible and as near as prayer.
MARS
Perspective“Wanderingstars”isactuallya contradictioninterms.Fromthe perspectiveofhumansonEarth,starsdo notmove,muchlesswander.Thisisone differencebetweenthemandplanets.Starsarestationary;planetsmove.In fact,theword,“planet,”comesfromthe Greekword,planetēs,whichmeans, “wanderer.”Unlikeplanets,starsremain fixedintheirplaces,andsomuchsothat marinerssettheircoursesbytheir reliable locations in the sky.Why,then,doesJudedescribe thesemenas“wanderingstars”?Perhapstheirbrillianceleadsothersto believethattheyare“stars,”butifthey keeptheireyesonthemlongenough, theywillnoticethattheyhavechanged positions.Theymightinitiallyseem attractiveandreliable,butwhenthey becomebetterknown,onediscoversthat theyarenolongerspirituallywherethey oncewere.They“havewanderedaway fromthefaith”(1Tim.6:10).Theyare just “planets.”However,anevendeepertruthis thatstarsthemselveshavetheirown independentmovement,evenapartfrom thatwhichtheyseemtohavefromthe rotationandrevolutionofEarth.Itjust appearsthattheyarestationary,because theyaresomuchfartherawaythan planets.Theonlyplanetswhichcanbe seenbythenakedeyeliewithinthis solarsystemandrelativelyclosetothe Earth.Stars,ontheotherhand,areso farawaythattheirdistancefromEarthis measuredinlight-years,whilethe distanceofplanetsfromEarthis measuredinmiles.Nevertheless,stars aresofarawaythathumanscannot detecttheirmovement.Theyseemfixed inplace.Thisiscalledtheparallax effect.Inthisphenomenon,thecloser objectsaretotheviewer,thefasterthey seemtomove,andviceversa.Toa driver,mountainsinthedistancewill hardlyseemtomove,whilethetreeson the side of the road appear to zoom past.Thisillustratesandemphasizes theimportanceofperspective.Thecloser peoplegettosomething,themorethey perceiveitasitreallyis.Thisprincipleis recognizedinproverbslike“walkamile inanother’sshoes”or“familiaritybreeds contempt.”Toputitsimply,distancechanges perspective.Forinstance,manydonot understandorliketheBible.Tothem,it appearsthattheBiblehasmanyflaws andnothingtocommenditselftothem asworthyoftheirconsideration,butthis mightonlybebecausetheyhavekept theirdistancefromit.Theyhavenever gottencloseenoughtogiveitacareful andfairevaluation.Perhapstheylisten tooreadilytoothers’criticismsofit withoutlookingatitforthemselves.Yet, iftheywouldjustgivethemselvesan opportunitytogettoknowtheBible“up closeandpersonal,”theymightcome awaywithamuchmorefavorable impression of it.Itisalsotruethatpeoplecan moreaccuratelyassessthosetheygetto know.Peopleoftenbecomemore understandingandsympathetictoward othersandlosetheirprejudices,ifthey areputinsituationswheretheyhaveto workwiththemandrelyonthem.Undersuchcircumstances,evenenemies mightdiscoverhowmuchtheyhavein common,orthattheothersarenotwhat theythought,andbefriendoneanother.However,iftheyputspacebetweeneach otherandmaintaintheirdistance,this allowsthemtoharbormisimpressions about each other.Onecanneverhaveaproper perspectiveonGodaslongashekeeps Himatadistance.AsPaulputittothe Athenians,Godmadehumansso“that theyshouldseekGod,ifperhapsthey mightgropeforHimandfindHim, thoughHeisnotfarfromeachoneofus” (Acts17:27).Indeed,Heisascloseasthe Bible and as near as prayer.