A Mystery

 

Doug writes:

A silver monolith was discovered recently in the Utah desert, around 12 feet high and gleaming. No-one seems to be sure where it came from. Most people are speculating that an artist has created and installed it, but naturally some are considering other options. With the similarity to the black monolith which lands in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey it is tempting to think that it is of extra-terrestrial origin; and we all know that Area 51 in the US desert is thought to be a place for sighting aliens; and the world is full of conspiracy theories and misinformation. Now, only a few days after it was found, it has mysteriously disappeared, Final proof indeed of whatever theory you may hold. 

It reminds me that among the set of seasonal songs which we may hear during Advent leading to Christmas there is a song called “A Spaceman Came Travelling” by Chris de Burgh (he of the well-known Lady in Red song - not seasonal as far as I know unless she is one of Santa’s elves). It speculates that a spaceman travels for many light years to this world, and Lo and Behold he appears at the time of the birth of Our Lord. Quite a coincidence or feat of planning. He seems to be a star to those who see him, and he even comes into the stable to see the Christ-child and his mother, bringing a message of (inter-galactic?) Peace and Goodwill. He returns to the stars, singing la la-la-la, la-la, la-la-la; maybe in a silver monolith?

As we prepare to celebrate the coming of Jesus, we can have many perceptions about his birth and who he is. We will have heard Bible stories - the best source - and intermingled versions from our childhood, from plays, from poems, carols, songs, so many of which have their own version of the story to tell. They may be fun but they aren’t necessarily Gospel truth – and we shouldn’t expect them to be. Jesus is born into such humble human circumstances, in the middle of a nation with many tensions, and the story of his birth does feature local shepherds and a group of travellers but in essence the world is scarcely aware of his coming. He is born of Mary, a gentle young Jewish woman, and he is therefore, of course, truly human and one with us. His words and actions when he grew brought people to believe that he was the one they were expecting to be our saviour. In Jesus we see both God and Humanity, there from the start but largely hidden.

Jesus’ birth is a source of wonder, comfort and joy and it is in many ways delightful that so much prose and music has been written about that. However, we need a purity of vision so that we don’t end up with unfathomable cosmic speculation, unable to decide or feel our way through faith and fiction. Advent preparation can be a time for sifting through what is important and what is secondary. The purity and humility of his birth are the core of the meaning of Christmas and most of the rest is secondary, or even less important, mere trivia.

We can enjoy the festive blandishments and hang up our stockings on the wall, take a sleigh ride, deck the halls, feel sad about last Christmas’ broken heart, but be very careful with the mistletoe and wine this year. Above all, if we are prepared spiritually we can celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and find ourselves, in a sense probably not intended by their author, “Simply having a wonderful Christmas time”.