I guess some would say that it was all a bit foolish, with still nothing to show for it. Yet for me, it was all worth it — every mile travelled, every barrier crossed and every star followed. It changed everything. He changed everything. Nothing could ever be the same again. That little bundle cradled in his mother’s arms — no words spoken, but in his silence, he held the world.
I was young, enthusiastic about life and willing to try anything once. I took up star-gazing; it seemed like a good idea at the time. It was all the craze back then, and I didn’t want to be left out of the action.
It was one night in mid-July; we were gathered, waiting, watching the stars as always. I didn’t really know one from the other, but the social life was good and I was rather attracted to the girl with the red hair.
However, on that night the girl paled into insignificance as the sky was lit by an amazing new star.
In time we came to believe that this star was a sign, and a few of Us could stand it no longer. We hired some camels and set out. We had no real idea of where we would end up, nor of what we would find when we got there, but we began.
The journey was long and varied. Many times along the way we felt like giving up and just going home. Yet something drew us on! As we travelled, we continued to discover that stars we studied were telling us a story: the story of God, who created and sustained, and now, in our time, would enter our world.
We wanted to take some gifts, so we consulted the stars. We settled on gold for kingship, frankincense for burial and myrrh for anointing. If we had known we would find a child, we would have taken something else.
Eventually, after a few hiccups, like visiting the wrong king and getting lost a few times, we arrived. The star we followed stopped, not over palace or hall of fame, but over a smelly stable. There was no fanfare or army, just a young woman holding her firstborn son.
However, we were welcomed. We were strangers from a distant land, but we were not ignored or ill-treated. We were accepted and, surprisingly, so were our gifts. I guess they were worth some money, if nothing else. We had come face-to-face with the promised king, the creator of the universe, and he had welcomed us.
Prayer
God, who guided the wise men to Jesus by a bright star in the sky,
guide me also, that I might follow you.
Help me to give you the gift of myself this Christmas
so that you can use my life for your glory.
Amen.
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