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Isaiah 60:1-6 – Arise, Jerusalem, and shine like the sun; the glory of the Lord is shining on you! Other nations will be covered by darkness, , but on you the light of the Lord will shine; the brightness of the Lord's presence will be with you. Nations will be drawn to your light, and kings to the dawning of your new day. Look around you and see what is happening: Your people are gathering to come home! You sons will come from far away; your daughters will be carried like children. You will see this and be filled with joy; you will tremble with excitement. The wealth of the nations will be brought to you; from across the sea their riches will come. Great caravans of camels will come from Midian and Ephah. They will come from Sheba, bringing gold and incense. People will tell the good news of what the Lord has done.
Matthew 2:1-12 -- After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: " 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
They might have been astrologers, kings, wealthy dilatants, Gentile theologians, or philosophers of the orient. What were the Magi looking for and did what they find matter to them, after all, we never hear of them again? Exit the shepherds of Bethlehem stage right; enter the Magi stage left following the movement of a great star. In Greek mythology, such a star was a compelling invitation to follow it to discover a divine hero.
The Star rising from the east symbolized the dawn of a new era – the new day breaks from the east and dies in the west – beginning or ending, light or dark, new or old, dreams and visions or status quo. For the spiritual seekers of biblical times, The Star heralded the end of the dark night of political tyranny and rigorous religious laws. A baby whose life was about Divine presence, peace, compassion, and love terrified a tyrannical king and threatened to transform a powerful religious establishment.
Whether the Magi are fact or metaphor, Matthew used the recognition by and gifts of the non-Jewish dignitaries to signal a new spiritual age, a fresh religious direction. The Magi introduced to the world God's expression of universal love. During Advent and Christmas we explored the textures and relevancy of the Nativity. Today we turn to Epiphany – that day when God was revealed in Christ, when God became human, one of us. In looking at the Magi we cannot help but be mindful of our own vision quests and spiritual journeys.
Many of us have, at some point, with some degree of conscious awareness, risked unfamiliar territories of existence, stepping out of comfort zones and leaving routines and habits on quests to discover who we are supposed to be, to embrace our true Self. Some headed to India; others climbed their version of the Himalayas for a mountain top experience. Some lived in ashrams, retreat centers, or communal projects serving humanity. Others packed lightly and trekked foreign lands, beheld new cultures, and framed a fresh worldview.
Others went off to college to expand their horizons in scholarship and through often unsettling but refreshing ideas. Others in need of a post-high school or post-college break took jobs to subsist in order to explore before launching careers. Too often, people must await such journeys/quests for a sabbatical or a week of continuing education, or perhaps a long weekend at a retreat away from the every day and with the hope of starting afresh.
Whenever and whatever the form of the quest, there are times in life when you honor the inner calling to go to your Self, to learn or to be reminded of who you most want to be, who you intend yourself to be. Granted, the Magi were important actors in a big drama, but there had to be something intensely personal in their quest. W. H. Auden captured the deeper essence of their quest. Perhaps through his words we can be more conscious of the deeper essence of our own quests. The Star of the Nativity speaks, “I am the Star most dreaded by the wise, for they will be drawn against their will to me…. I shall deprive [men] you of your minor tasks.” The first Wise Man speaks, “To discover how to be truthful now is the reason I follow this star.” And then the second, “To discover how to be living now is the reason I follow this star.” Finally, the third speaks, “To discover how to be loving now is the reason I follow this star.” Then, in concert, the three speak, “To discover how to be human now is the reason we follow this star.”
This has been a commanding year and an exceptionally hard decade, personally, in families, as well as a nation and in the world. Now it's a new year, a new decade, and a time for a fresh beginning or for a re-grounding and re-claiming of Self. Whatever our motivation, you have the opportunity to intentionally step up to the journey that could lead you to be truthful, to be alive, to love, and to be human. The three imperatives for liberation from the passage in Isaiah ring loud and clear: Arise! Shine! Lift up your eyes and look around! So, too, from the Magi: the glimpses of light break through whatever your darkness, pointing you to an epiphany.
We gather as a beloved community at the Lord's Table in the first hours of this New Year and new decade. Use this hour to make a personal commitment to a fresh quest, a new beginning, a spiritual journey, or to follow a star, a dream, a vision, or a calling. You may not know all the risks, or where or when you'll arrive. So what? It's an adventure. You may be longing for God's love or you may hear God calling you to live beyond your self-imposed limits, to create for yourself a new paradigm, to smash religious idols you've put on pedestals, or to reclaim your intention and motivation for excellence in being your true Self, raising your children, doing your work, or honoring your values.
There are, for our purposes, two approaches: the thinking of the masses reflecting the common denominators of the familiar and comfortable, and there is what I shall call Magi Thinking that follows the vision dawning from the east, the new challenge awaiting:
•Magi Thinking calls you to step out in order to seek your right place in the world and to embrace your true Self.
•Magi Thinking calls you to strengthen your spirit in order to enrich your life and being, to enfold you into the life of Christ thereby fulfilling your longing for the experience of faith that lives and breathes inside you each and every day.
In a moment, when you're holding your communion bread, instead of being distracted or singing the chant, be gently mindful of what you most need in order to be the person you most want to be, the person you believe God intends you to be.
Let the journey to bread and cup move you from wherever you might be stuck, to the place where you can put down deep roots and blossom, where you'll make of yourself a true and real blessing. The Mass Think of common denominators takes the very short view of life and existence, but Magi Think is about a lifetime living in the realm of God, here and now, embodied on earth and in you; a lifetime that is rich and full; a lifetime that is a blessing of personal union with Christ; a lifetime of the highest order of loving kindness that's grounded in contentment, gratitude, and peace. Take a moment in silence to frame your commitment for the new year, the fresh decade. <<pause>>
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