By the time I got out for my walk today it was already dark.  The moon was beautiful and bright in the clear sky - but no way could I get a decent photo on a phone camera! So here's a contrast - a retail park starkly illuminated and a decidedly wonky moon in the sky above.

As I walked I made several attempts at photographing illuminated signs, and every time they were blurred.  The least bad was one of some flashing star-shaped decorations...

If I were to go with a word for today, it'd probably have to be 'blurred' or 'artificial' but actually, I find myself preferring a link to the Bible study we shared this afternoon as the injunction to 'shine like stars'.  In the large photo, stars must be present but are invisible due to the brightness of the artificial lighting at ground level. In the small photo the stars are fake.  During the Bible study we chatted about all sorts of things, and about the balance of passive (shining) and active (speaking) witness to our faith, and of the need to 'walk the walk' as well as 'talk the talk'. I also found words from a Christmas carol (I know, it's ages off yet) coming into my head: 'in the dark street shineth the everlasting light...' In the dark of a November evening, looking up, above the garish and fake, shines the moon that has been there, effectively, forever, a reminder that hope will lead to the source of all light, even the Christ of God.