Of all the costumes available for the pageant (Mary, Joseph, the prophets, the shepherds, the multitude of animals, the angels, the Wild Star), none are more numerous than the Magi. So many crowns and robes to choose from! Why do we have so many? I suppose the Magi capture our imaginations because they are so mysterious. And let’s face it, it’s fun to get dressed up as royalty, especially if there is some mix and match involved. Also, as I wrote last week, the Magi represent Jesus’s manifestation to the non-Judean world—that’s us! No wonder we love them.
This Sunday, as we celebrate the feast of the Magi’s arrival, I want to make a pitch that they aren’t the only ones who represent “us.” The nativity tableau has more to say. Consider this:
While the Magi were privileged and respected members of their societies, the shepherds—the lowest of the low on the social ladder—were also present at Jesus’s birth. Back then, shepherds may have been regarded in the same way that some people view incarcerated or unhoused people today. But just as the Wild Star pulled the Magi from the east, the angels told the shepherds to go to Bethlehem. Low, near, high, far—and all in between—were invited, and are still invited, to receive the gift of Christmas.
As you enter the sanctuary, I’m sure you have noticed that we have a beautiful nativity scene set up on the credenza. Whether you like to dress up in colorful robes or prefer something more humble, I hope you can gaze at the scene with the understanding that you are a part it. The shepherds and the Magi bracket a continuum that holds everyone at the birth of Christ.
Mother Nina+
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