Peeking beneath the story

I think the most interesting parts of stories are the bits we don't give words to.  I find this is particularly true of old, old stories like the arrival of the Magi.  Traditionally when telling the Epiphany story the spotlight of plot focuses on their arrival and presentation of gifts to baby Jesus. A spotlight focused on this singular image makes a certain amount of sense because this is the scene where what happened in that stable in Bethlehem is named: the promise of God has been fulfilled.

Shining the spotlight on the image of camels and kings and treasures is quite lovely and the image may evoke an exclamation of: 'Oh, that's what all this means.' But truthfully, most of us don't bother exclaiming that phrase of amazement because the great majority of us have spent little time exploring the wholeness of the story.  

What most of us hear in this story is "blah, blah, blah there were three kings; blah, blah, blah they saw a great star; blah, blah, blah they traveled on their camels; blah, blah, blah they came to the stable in Bethlehem and presented their gifts of gold, frankincense and myhhr; blah, blah, blah."

From where I sit in life, the amazing part of the story has little to do with those boxes of gold, frankincense and myhhr, the amazing part of the story is what is told - or could be told - within all the blah, blah, blah's: 

What belief did they have that was so powerful they were willing to leave their kingdoms to follow a star?  
What had they been doing to prepare themselves to both see the star and embark on the journey?
What did they experience on that journey?
What happened after they left the stable?


I know lots of people would respond to those questions by stating flatly "well, you know the story probably isn't real anyway.  And if some part of it was real, then it probably didn't happen that way."  And both statements could be correct, but the wonderful thing about ancient stories that remain alive is that whether or not the facts are true, the story contains truth. 


"True" means in accordance with fact, however, 'truth' indicates the quality of excellence existing in what is spoken.  The quality of excellence is this story {from my point of view} is that when I have come to believe that my life has a purpose, then the means to fulfilling this purpose is a journey requiring both the patience and work of preparation; the openness and willingness to learn to wonder and therefore be able to 'see'; the willingness to leave one's 'kingdom' in order to follow the Light that will guide us and then, finally, when we arrive at the 'place' upon which the star - the Light - rests, we are then able to offer what is left: the gift of self: a self recognizing that God is incarnate - dwelling within - human form.


Emerson said, "I am the organ through which Spirit executes It's will and Creative Power."  There is no creative power greater than the recognition of God Incarnate - God's energy dwelling within my human form.  To recognize this great Light of Truth however is a journey of living: a journey where we learn how to absorb this wondrous reality into the fabric of our life so that when the 'star' appears in the darkness of night, we are prepared to follow it's light.



When we - each of us - is able to say our 'yes' to knowing we have been created for a purpose; when we then say 'yes' to the work of preparation for the journey, and when we then proclaim our 'yes' to a willingness to embark on our journey, then indeed, the promise of God is fulfilled.