Contributor: Tri Harmadji, Ph.D.

Editor: Vince Ellysabeth

In everyday life, people live alongside markers of time: hours, days, weeks and months. All these markers pass by almost without fanfare. However, when the turn of the year arrives, people’s attention seems to be focused specifically on that moment. The New Year is celebrated with joy, hope and various social rituals, as though it holds greater significance than other transitions of time. The question is: what is truly special about the turn of the year?

The Solar Calendar and the Wonder of the Earth’s Journey

The calendar commonly used today is the solar calendar, which is based on the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Astronomically speaking, at the beginning of January, the Earth is at its closest point to the Sun (perihelion), having travelled an elliptical path of approximately 940 million kilometres in the course of a year. This journey continues unceasingly, unnoticed by humankind.

This fact reveals that the New Year is not merely a social construct, but a cosmic marker: the Earth returns to the starting point of its journey. From a faith perspective, this realisation opens our eyes to the order of creation and the grandeur of God’s work, which sustains life through the laws of nature He has created.

Looking Up: A Theological Reflection on the New Year

The turn of the year invites us to pause briefly from our routines and turn our gaze towards what is often forgotten: upwards. Throughout the year, people are busy looking down: at personal, family, social, economic and humanitarian issues. The New Year becomes a symbolic moment to shift our gaze from the burdens of the world towards the horizon of God’s creation.

Genesis 1:14–19 affirms that the heavenly bodies were created by God not merely as adornments, but as markers of the seasons, days and years. The sun, the moon and the stars have a theological function: to order life on earth and to declare that the universe is governed by divine order. Thus, looking upwards is not an act of escapism from reality, but an act of faith that reminds humanity of the Creator behind all creation.

Between Astronomy and Astrology: A Critical Attitude of Faith
The Bible takes a critical stance towards practices that treat celestial bodies as gods or as determinants of fate. Isaiah 47:13–14 and Jeremiah 10:2 emphasise the rejection of deterministic astrology that supplants faith in God. This criticism is not directed at the science of the heavens, but rather at its misuse as an object of worship.

On the contrary, the Bible actually encourages believers to understand the creation of the heavens as a means of recognising God’s glory. Psalm 19:2 states that the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of His hands. Psalm 147:4 even describes God as the One who determines the number of stars and calls them by name, a poetic expression that affirms God’s personal relationship with His creation.

The Stars as a Means of Revelation

In the Bible, we find that God frequently uses the stars to teach humankind. Genesis 15:5 employs the stars as a metaphor for the promise of Abraham’s countless descendants. Job 38:31–33 highlights humanity’s limitations in the face of the cosmic order, which only God can govern.

This culminates in Matthew 2:1–2, when God used a star to guide the Magi to the birth of Christ. Unlike the shepherds, who received revelation through an angel, the Magi—who understood the signs of the heavens—were called by means of a star. This story affirms that God sovereignly uses His creation to reveal His will to people of various nations and backgrounds.

The New Year, Pollution, and a Call for a New Awareness

Ironically, amidst the progress of civilisation, humanity is increasingly hindered from seeing the heavens. Light and air pollution in urban areas obscure our view of the stars, which have in fact never disappeared. The New Year provides a reflective moment to realise that humanity’s alienation from creation is often the result of its own actions.

This realisation calls on the faithful to give thanks, to care for creation, and to look up once more—not only physically, but also spiritually. The New Year serves as a reminder that human life is part of a grand cosmic journey, sustained by God’s love and order.

Conclusion

Thus, the New Year is not merely a change in the calendar; rather, it is a theological invitation to renew our perspective on faith. It calls upon the faithful to remember the Creator, to marvelling at His creation, and to reorder their lives in the light of God’s majesty. By looking upwards, we learn to embrace the new year with humility, hope and renewed faith.

Whilst daily life on earth is indeed important, there are times when we must lift our gaze upwards, to the stars. There is nothing wrong with studying and giving thanks for creation. Indeed, it is there that we learn to live with full awareness, attuned to nature and all of creation, whilst opening ourselves to receive God’s message conveyed through His works.  (Rev. Tri Harmadji, Ph.D.)

This article is adapted from Bincang Alkitab. Watch the full video version on LAI’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/hC1-IaRCGZk?si=LmZ1ziEeDvpLpQ6u