The Gift of the Magi

This the season to go shopping. Like when did all this craziness begin? It seems it began right at the first Christmas. When the Three Wise Men, the Magi, came bearing gifts for the new King of Kings. The Magi traveled far from Persia. They used astrology and when they saw the right lineament of stars they followed it. So you have three pagan mystics who are among the first to recognize Jesus Christ. Is it me? -Or does this story sound a little incongruent?  Especially in the light of what most modern Christians think about astrology.

The first Christmas -at least according to the Bible in Book of Luke happened on a cold night when the shepherds were out in the fields. Which really only happens in springtime when the ewes are giving birth to their lambs. It's when the flock is most vulnerable, otherwise any shepherd was willing to get a good night's sleep in a warm bed and let the dog guard the flock.  

There has always been a connection between many Christian holidays and the Pagan ones they supplanted. As one historian pointed out, it's easier to get people to change their Gods than their holidays. So we have Christmas in the winter and celebrate Easter instead of Resurrection Sunday. (Easter is a whole other story in itself)


And the issue of the Virgin Birth isn't something you want to discuss over Christmas dinner. Though one of my friends who is both sanctified and a graduate of a Bible college felt that Mary's virginity was proof that she didn't commit adultery. Back then adultery was a capital crime.   

It's funny if you really examine the Christmas story, it is kind of loopy but it still makes you feel good. Over the years I have had the opportunity to listen to a wide variety of people talk about their holidays and their faiths. These days I refrain from saying things like "that's silly" or "how can you believe that nonsense". In the end it's all good. In all those conversations I don't think I learned much about God but I have been able to see inside people. See what they value, what they fear and what inspires them to be a better person.

So this is Christmas. A time for celebration, a little excess and an excuse to be as generous as the Magi.  

Shopping for some people is easier than others. The easiest person on my shopping list is Tom, otherwise know as "Tom, the collector of everything". He is a hoarder but then again so am I, though my wife keeps it down to an inconvenient clutter. Actually I can say I'm more than just casually acquainted with a dozen or so obsessive collectors or full blown hoarders. Most these people are guys -yes guys tend to collect things and women tend to collect cats. Anyway these guys are mainly bachelors and their houses, garages or man caves are like little museums (or junk yards). Now I'm starting to wonder about my next gift to Tom, does he suffer from an addiction and am I being an enabler?

I'll still get Tom a gift, I don't want him to think I'm cheap.

Maybe that's one of the differences between collectors and hoarders. Collectors, people like Tom, share their collections and show off their big finds. Whatever they collect, that collection is their passport into a community of like minded people.

True hoarders are so much less connected to other people. They pack away and hide their stuff until they have no where else to put it -and it begins to take over the living space, both physical and socially. Every hoarder seems to be preparing for some unknown emergency and does not feel safe and secure unless they have at least two of everything.

Maybe that's where the Magi come in. From Magi we get the word magician. And maybe that's an important part of Christmas and life in general -not magic like sorcery -not some conjured supernatural event -but the magic act. The magic act, where through illusion and harmless trickery we see something we know is physically impossible but we still take it in and marvel at it.

Life is that great magic act, mostly filled with mundane chores and yet every moment really is a miracle. Love and friendship, you learn not to look too closely at it -you know where the warts and imperfections are but that's okay because even if it's half illusion, they are the best gifts life can offer.