Star Trek to Bethlehem, Reflections from a Christian Trekker

December 30, 2014 by JoAnna 6 Comments

I was a trekker before I became a Christian. I was not a “trekkie,” but a slightly more sophisticated trekker. (I’ve only been to one convention, when my kids were young, not counting that one min-con).

Star trek was a life saver during my awkward adolescence when Dad was in Vietnam and Mom was emotionally unstable. Logical Mr. Spock, my first crush, led me to find science “fascinating” for a while anyway. Maybe being influenced by the Trek at an early age, has something to do with me being and open-minded Christian.

Now, I’m fascinated by links between science and religion, like when I read jetgirlcos describe the the story in Matthew 2:1-2, where the wise men see the star in the east, as

“an extraordinary cosmic event which became part of all the wonder that accompanies Christmas.”

Here is her thoughtful and concise post:

https://fortyandfantastique.wordpress.com/2014/12/16/preparing-for-christmas-2-they-followed-a-star/

Her combination of objective study with the “wonder” of Christmas touched that place in me that loves to see  connections between seemingly distant things.

Her use of the word “cosmic” enticed me.

Cosmic: “of or relating to the cosmos, the extraterrestrial vastness, or the universe in contrast to the earth alone” (Merriam-Webster) 

In doing a tiny bit research, I found this overview of possible scientific explanations of the star of Bethlehem. http://www.classicalastronomy.com/news/anmviewer.asp?a=326&z=17 . My favorite of these theories is the one about the “Triple Conjunction of Jupiter and Regulus” in which “blazingly bright Jupiter, which signifies kingship, passed three times very closely to the brightest star of Leo, which might signify Judah.”

Do I understand this? No way.

Maybe this theory appeals to me because the “planetary alignment” idea was depicted in the movie, The Nativity Story. I was moved to tears at the end of this movie. I love the expressions of the wise men/astronomers.

 

Some Star Trek fans might notice the angel “Gabriel”announcing Jesus’ birth to the shepherds  is played by Alexander Siddig, who also played Dr. Julian Bashir in  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,  See, another connection!

There’s at least one more Jesus/Star Trek connection. Its a Christmas episode of classic Trek called “Bread and Circuses” where the Enterprise crew thinks they are dealing with sun worshipers until Lt. Uhura enlightens them. The story starts at about 1:04 minutes into this short clip:

 

What does this all mean?

It means that religion and science can coexist and intersect. It means that a love for Jesus and a love of Star Trek can stay alive and well within the same person. Jesus and Star Trek both give me feelings of hope, of possibility, and the belief anything is possible in this vast universe.

Happy Epiphany and Best Wishes in the Year Ahead!