This is worth celebrating: three wisemen travel in a desert, they follow a star so bright, their destination is a newborn child, they bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Go out into the night, look at the stars, and consider this universal path to wisdom:
1. Three wisemen travel in a desert: Life is a journey. Sometimes we are in the desert and sometimes we are in the mountains, but we are always moving, whether physically or metaphorically, internally or externally, toward a place of wisdom. I particularly like the images that a desert invokes. Dry, extreme temperatures, confusing, simple, raw, and wild. This is the substance of real life and we are all just trying to find our way.
I particularly like the idea that as we travel into wilderness, and the further we get from civilization and our civilized egos, the closer we become to our true wild self. Our true selves are reflected in the wildness of the landscape.
I like this story because they set out on a journey together. From different homes, they walk and they seek together. I think of all the wise women and men in my life with whom I travel far distances. Family and friends who really listen, connect, and walk with me. Friends who hear me into speech. I am also aware of all the wise ones with whom I travel but don't really know personally--the ones who have shared their wisdom with me through books, meditations, and blog posts. I feel part of this one great push toward wisdom.
2. They follow a star so bright: They follow the path to illumination. Whatever your path-- Christian, Shamanism, Paganism, Buddhism, Muslim, astrology--we are all after the same thing: illumination. Some see the path of the star as a spiritual one, others might see it as the path of rational thought or scientific knowledge. I believe it is all the one same path! We all look for something way beyond ourselves to recognize the element of our deepest, truest self. We all look up so that we can see deep within or deep within so we can see up.
3. Their destination is a newborn child: Oh, this is my favorite bit! Their destination was a newborn child. Okay, if you are Christian, then this newborn child has huge significance for you, but if you are not, then perhaps just delight in the idea that it is worth traveling near and far, through the lonely desert to see the face of a newborn child. Oh what a holy sight! And oh what it says about the holiness of each child.
Every child born is worth a journey. I love this because it celebrates the child, the newborn, as a place where wisdom resides. And as a mother, again and again, I experience my children as wisdom-bearers. Each birth is just the beginning of the many stages of enlightenment. I like to think that maybe we give gifts this time of year to celebrate the child as a place of wisdom. We give gifts to say, "I see the wisdom in you and I cherish it." The wisemen are called wisemen because they see the light in each other and they see it in the child.
4. They bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh: They bring earth gifts, treasure from the wild. Not toys, not clothes. Sweet smelling treasures. Treasures that mark this birth as holy while alluding to the sacredness of all new life. I am always intrigued by the choice of gifts here. I understand that as part of the Christian story, they are gifts for a king. Jesus was the their newborn king. Kingly gifts for a kingly child. But, what does this say about the type of gifts we bring to a newborn? What do the gifts we bring say about how we feel about the child? I do challenge myself to think about how the gift I bring might honor the holiness of each person.
There are lots of reasons to give gifts and just as many ideas about why we give certain type of gifts, but I do like considering why we do all this gift giving, even if I continue to give gifts that are far from gold and myrrh. I think the best gift is the gift given with thought and intention. The best gift received is the one that says, "I know you."
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Sending you lots of starlight, wisdom, and the gift of new life.
Peace,
Nicki
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