The Christmas Story -- An Alternate Perspective

There is one aspect of the Christmas Story that is not very widely acknowledged. It concerns the presence of the Magi and Christ in the same place, and adds a beautiful allegorical dimension to the purpose of the birth of Christ.

As the story goes, the Magi, powerful mystical kings from the Orient, followed the Star of Bethlehem west to the birthplace of Christ, bearing with them gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The star is identified directly with Christ and the divine light he represented, as well as with the reason he brought to the masses later in life (enlightenment.) In many Greek Bibles, the divine light of reason is translated as Logos (reason, logic.) Therefore, the birth of Christ can be seen as the deliverance of logos to the people.

But what of the arrival of the Magi? They represent the magical, mystical side of the world, yet are drawn to Bethlehem by the birth of Reason. The first meeting of logic and magic, of Eastern and Western traditions, the first synthesis of two opposites is depicted in the Christmas story.

I wish more people could see the beauty and symbology of this story. In this context, the Christmas story can be seen as a call for unification or at least tolerance of other viewpoints. Perhaps it would inspire the various Christian, Muslim, Jewish and even Eastern religions to put aside their differences and observe at least this magical day.

(Story Source: Study Group Lecture by George Addair, given in Phoenix, Arizona, December 1993)