The big night sky. What can we learn from the stars? July 5, 2018 News The normal observation when gazing up at the big night sky is something like this: ‘Aren’t the stars fantastic tonight!’ But, as with most normal observations, we’re missing the point. And the point is the space. The stars would be nothing without that wonderful dark space in which they live, move and have their being. It is the surrounding absence which makes their presence shine. Some thing only glitters in the context of no thing. We like the presence of things in our lives – people, entertainment, ideas, gizmos, colour, phones. But sometimes, nothing is more important than something; and absence more important than presence. Treasure the still moments, the empty times and the unfilled space. Don’t rush on too quickly. As with the night sky, absence is the sweet cradle in which presence is laid.