The Cree people, indigenous to Canada, tell a winter story of the Fisher and the Sky Bear. The tale begins in a time of perpetual ice and snow; the warmth of summer has been stolen and locked away in the high, cold sky. Determined to retrieve the Earth’s warmth, the Fisher climbs into the sky along with his companion, the bear. During their daring mission, the Fisher is struck by an arrow; but before falling, he leaps into the heavens where he is transformed into a star alongside the bear, the two of them taking their places in the Plough constellation. 

This story reflects the deep connection that the Cree people share with the created world. Each spring, the bear reappears in its constellation, signalling the return of warmth; while in autumn, the bear is wounded, and the reddening leaves fall from the trees. Within the Christian faith, the annual return of the Star of Bethlehem signifies light and renewal. Indeed, C. S. Lewis’s famous re-working of the gospel narrative echoes the Cree story in having Narnia held captive in eternal winter prior to its restoration by Aslan. 

The stars have been seen as guides, offering comfort, meaning and direction, across many different times and cultures. Escaped slaves in North America travelled under the cover of darkness, plotting their course to safety according to the constellations. Lovers parted by war take comfort in the fact that they see the same stars at night. Over the centuries, the wise men’s pursuit of a single star was transformed into complex techniques of navigation based upon the mapping of the night sky. And yet the simple sense of guidance under the single canopy of God’s creation remained. 

The connection between the intimacy of God and the immensity of the cosmos is captured in a pair of verses from the Psalms: 

He heals the broken-hearted, 
and binds up their wounds. 
He determines the number of the stars; 
he gives to all of them their names. (Psalm 147:3-4)