“Kahoutek or Catch A Falling Star”
The Rev. Dr. H.C. Read
I am indebted to the
Rev. Doctor David H.C. Read for today’s sermon. He was born in
Thursday night the
wind began to howl, the palm trees swayed and holly branches scraped against
the window pane. Frightened, I looked up from my computer and saw a great light
streak across the sky. I jumped up and walked
towards the window – it was then that I heard:
The
comet of Christmas who sings as he flies.
I’m
Kahoutek the comet, and I want you to hear
The
tale of my life from my earliest year.
Six
times I’ve come near to you curious planet,
Six
times I’ve been able to study and scan it.”
“Well”,
I said, “it is nice to meet you Kahoutek but I must say, I had no idea comets
could speak and in rhymes no less!”
“Well he said, turning his light into my eye,
that’s because lot’s of people watch me circling, but you’re the only one who
can hear me speaking so stay right there and pull up a chair. I have more to tell you, and you need help.”
“Once
upon an eternity God was alone,
Except
for the angels surrounding his throne.
Then
one day as he listened while everyone sang,
He
said: “This is boring – let’s have a Big Bang.”
So
suddenly out of the nothing there burst
A big a
wonderful a universe.
First
some energy, some gases, then pieces of matter,
Then
everything whizzed into place splitter-splatter.
And
God clapped his hands and said: “See my new home!
It’s
good, and I love it, and I wish it Shalom.’”
“Shalom,
said I?” I pity you really – did you
ever do your Hebrew homework? What other
language did you expect God to speak in eternity? Shalom means peace – well more than what you
call peace. You think peace is when
people aren’t fighting. Shalom means the
peace that is Love and Joy. Now try not
to interrupt my story.”
“I
remember, I remember when I was born afar.
My
mother was a planet, and my father was a star.
But
soon, I felt the urge to leave their huge and empty home,
For
God had given me a great desire to wander and to roam.
My
parents said: ‘Let’s fix him with a fiery, streaming booster,
And
send him out exploring.’ So they called
me “Little Rooster.”
“Little
Rooster? I “I thought you were called
Kahoutek.”
“So
I am,” he replied. Your Check is worse
than you Hebrew. “Kahoutek means Little
Rooster. You really should study
more.”
“For
a few million years, I swooped around the universe. Everything was working perfectly, and the
stars and the planets were doing what they ought to do, but somehow it was all
very dull. One day I plucked up all my
courage and asked God about it. Lord, I said, ‘I remember that you wanted
Shalom, some love, joy, and peace in your universe. But I don’t see any. All these stars and planets are just empty
space. It’s more like algebra and geometry
and trigonometry then love, joy, and peace.’”
God smiled and said,
‘Go and have one more look. This time
you’re going to see something new.’
“So
I whizzed off again and sure enough, after a few billion years I came near to a
planet I’d never seen before. Instead of
dust and mud darkness I saw green trees and sparkling seas. And instead of an absolute stillness and
quiet, I saw things moving. There was
life – flowers growing, fish swimming in the oceans, and beasts roaming in the
forests.”
‘And
God said: ‘Don’t you think it’s beautiful this earth that I have made?
And don’t you love the colors and the life and
light and shade?
“’Yes,
I said it’s lovely, but there is still something missing. There’s no one there to say Shalom, to live
there with love and joy and peace.’”
‘’I’ve
thought about that,’ said God. Go away
now and come back in a couple of million years, and I’ll show you something
very special on that planet earth.’
So
for my second visit, “I came swooping down so near that my tail was singing
the treetops. God’s voice came to me as
I beheld his creation and He said:
“’I
loved to create the beautiful stars.
The
planets so great like Venus and Mars;
I
loved to make earth more beautiful still;
I
loved to give birth to the sea and the hill.
But
my greatest delight in the whole of creation,
The
happiest sight of divine generation,
Was
when I began ‘twixt the sky and the sod
Making
woman and man in the image of God.’”
“Yes,”sighed
Kahootek, “that was a wonderful visit to your planet. In that moment, I knew what God meant by
Shalom. At last in this big empty
universe there were people and God had given them dominion over
everything. So off I went again to play
in the Milky Way for a few million years. Then, as comets do, I came round
again – my third visit if you like to count.
But
with this, he voice broke, and in a low tone he sang what sounded like a dirge
at a funeral:
“’I’m
Kohoutek the comet, and though I am glad
To
continue my story this bit’s rather sad.
I
found when I swooped down again to this planet
That
something was wrong with the people who man it.
They
had built mighty cities with turrets and towers,
There
appeared on the earth mighty kingdoms and powers.
But,
amid all their glories it’s sad to relate
They
had learned to fight, and they’d learned to hate.
And
nowhere around in this beautiful home
Was
there much that was left of God’s happy Shalom.
So
I said to him: ‘Lord, your plan was in vain,
Why
not wipe them all out and begin it again?’”
“You
said that?” I broke in, “and what did God say?”
Tell me his exact words.”
Offended,
Kahoutek’s light fluttered in the night and he curled his tail a bit and said,
“At that time, you should know that God just sighed.” But, said Kahoutek, “When God sighs, it’s
like a great wind blowing through the universe, I nearly lost my tail.
But
then God smiled, and when God smiles, it’s like a great rainbow from here to
eternity. And that is when God said to
me, ‘Go back, Kohoutek, go back in just a few years to that little planet earth
and I shall meet you there.’
I could not think what
he meant, but I saw something burning brightly in his heart, and I knew that
his love would not depart. And then the journey, surely you know about the
journey, don’t you?” “I’m not sure,” I said, “what happened?” Oh my, his light became brighter. It is a good thing I came here
tonight.
“Well
this journey of which I speak took place on my fourth visit. God showed me exactly where to go. He told me to come as near as I could to a
corner of the earth where three continents meet and to look out for a big
stretch of desert where three men were riding camels coming from the East,
‘Just follow them,’ said God, ‘and where they eventually stop – you stop – and
you’ll see me there.’ God chuckled. ‘They will think they’re following you, but
you’ll be following them - I’ve told them where to go, just as I have
you.’ Excited now his pace quickened as
he said:
“It
was fun to go streaking so near to the earth,
For
people thought comets meant a death or a birth,
And
they ran out to watch me go sailing along-
But
the men on the camels plodded on with a song.
They
sang of a king every night as they rode,
And
I thought they would stop at some gorgeous abode.
And
was I surprised when they reached a small city,
Which
was crowded and smelly and not very pretty.
I
stopped in amazement, for soon I was able
To
see they had entered a filthy old stable.
I
began to believe that the wise men were dumb-
This
can’t be the place where God promised to come!
Yet
there in the stable in spite of my scorn
A
wonderful, heavenly Baby was born,
And
angels were singing of glory on high,
As
shepherds were watching me up in the sky,
While
others were telling of peace and good will
And
about men ceasing to rage and to kill.
God
was there as he promised; his new plan had begun,
He
had given his love to the world in his Son.
And
into your world – every heart, every home-
He
had brought the great gift of eternal Shalom.”
“Ah
ha, “so it was your light, Kohoutek that streaked across the sky to
For
the same reason I am here tonight for the sixth time– I hear a great sigh for
peace, I feel a great hunger for love and real joy. And as for the light, I am not the
light you seek, I only point to the light you seek.
Jesus
is still with you. I came to remind you
to search the night sky for a star that will lead you, men and women, and boys
and girls, in every land, to the stable so you can see the light of Jesus and
learn from him to care for this world. I
came to say
“Shalom!
Shalom! On this Day,
I
came to ask you all to pray
For
peace and joy and love on earth
To
celebrate the Savior’s birth,
Thursday
when you sing of silent night
And
stream outdoors with your light
Glance
up to see my history
Wonder
then to see God’s mystery
For
it is there that you will find
The
God that loved you before all time.
God
bless you all, both young and old
And
now Kahoutek’s tale is told by Rev. Elizabeth Kuehl in memory of Dr.Read