History does not tell us when the Wise Men (the Magi) began their journey to visit Jesus following His birth. Some say that they arrived twelve days following Christ’s birth in Bethlehem (hence the song The Twelve Days of Christmas). Others say that the journey could have taken more than two years! However long the trip, their dedication cannot be overstated. To venture into the unknown, following a prophetic teaching and a shining star, speaks to a faith we sometimes seriously lack in today’s world.
This leads me to my question, the first in a series of four questions this Christmastide that will be discussed through my devotionals. And that is, who are you truly seeking this Christmas? There is no doubt that we are all seeking SOMETHING this Advent (a fancy term for Christmas time) season! Whether that be the PERFECT gift, the PERFECT experience, or the PERFECT meal. The only problem with those particular searches for perfection is that they will ultimately lead to disappointment. Gifts will break or be discarded, experiences will not live up to expectations, and meals sometimes burn on the stove or in the oven. What is one to do when what it is they seek is inevitably going to disappoint?
It may be because we often seek the wrong thing this time of year. We seek the material as opposed to the Divine. We venture out to Bethlehem, but expect to encounter a metropolis; we hope to find a King in all splendor, but instead we see a lowly infant in a humble abode. If we temper our expectations with an open acceptance of Christ’s presence among us this Christmas, our experiences may be beyond our wildest hopes and dreams. If we prepare a place for Christ among us and then await his arrival (which will assuredly occur), our perspective on this Holy time of year will become more precise and much more relevant.
