Advent: More on the Magi

I’ve opened a different Starbucks this Sunday morning, Week Two of Advent. Avoiding the guilt of opening a paper I didn’t plan to purchase, I glanced at the top half of the NY Times headlines awaiting my americano with room. It had “religion” in the title. Not surprising this season, I thought.

Paragraph one told me that inmates at a Texas prison got preferential treatment – occasional pizza and live music, nicer toilets - if they signed up for an evangelical, religious program. The writer snarled at those damn evangelicals with money who coerce others and talk about sin and God and George W. This injustice happened on his watch and with his blessing, of course. Religion and politics, page 1.

Call me crazy, but I want religion and politics to live in different rooms rather than share the same bed. I hate the type-casting, the fight-picking, the chosen misunderstanding. Religion and politics. Maybe the sweet Nativity Story would take us away from all that?

Nope.

Those lovable Magi of our Week One went straight to the heart of religious and political center by naively seeking out Herod, the self-titled King of the Jews. Paranoid Herod, in turn, sought out the Jewish priests in his pocket. Together the religious and political powers were “disturbed”. That’s how Matthew puts it. “Disturbed” that Nature herself was pointing to another King. This was a threat. “His star” was seen in the heavens by these well dressed strangers and By God, we aren’t going to give up our power without a fight!

Religion and politics and power. It always gets bloody even with a Baby Jesus on stage.

As you can see, I’m having a hard time leaving the Magi and moving on to the Shepherds who guide us in Week Two. I’ve been entranced by the Magi’s seeing following His Star. I’ve loved their innocence in wanting to worship the Baby King. I’ve wondered all week about God speaking “outside the camp” of religious centers.

We talked at our Soul gathering last week about some of our own stars. Eagles and foxes and the sun on a tearful face have been vehicles of God’s grace. These “stars” don’t end our journey toward Jesus but are necessary to further it.

Look around. Look up and down. His Stars appear on the cloudiest of nights.