Hello, Ladies. Have I ever mentioned that I don't just call you "ladies" because it sounds nice . . . or because "girls" seems too young . . . or because it would just take too long to list all your names? (Hello Nicole, Melody, Paige, Avery . . we could be here for days.) I call you "ladies" because according to the dictionary you fit the bill by being: "A well-mannered and considerate woman with high standards of proper behavior."
The world as a whole may not see that as valuable (much les cool), but I do. Just sayin'.
Okay, so -- I'm about to leave for my five-day session at the Academy For Spiritual Formation at the Oblate Renewal Center in San Antonio, Texas, and I couldn't go without checking in with you. I've been pretty incommunicado lately, trying to get a novel done, and as always you have carried on like, well, the ladies you are. Still, I wanted to leave you with some things to think about, comment on, discuss among yourselves while I'm off filling my well so we'll have even MORE things to talk about.
Those of you who have been with this blog for a while, or who worship in liturgical churches that follow the church calendar, know that this is the season of Epiphany. We're a week into it, actually, January 6 being the official start date when we recognize the arrival of the Three Wise Men (AKA Magi) at Jesus' birthplace. The fact that they were not Jewish but came from the Far East makes them a symbol for Jesus coming into the world to save everyone. That is genuinely a big deal and deserves its own celebration, even though we usually lump the Wise Guys in with the rest of the visitors in the nativity scene. They were the ones who made gift-giving appropriate at Christmas. Gave us the image of the star. And played a role in saving the baby Jesus' life by returning home by another way, rather than cluing Herod in on where he was. So yeah, they deserve a whole season.
Personally, I think it can take an entire six-week period just to figure out the gifts the three wise men brought. I used to wonder why they'd bring gold and, basically, perfume to a baby. I've always enjoyed thinking about what three wise WOMEN would have brought -- diapers, perhaps? Blankies? A pacifier? Because Jesus was probably a toddler by the time they arrived, something besides swaddling clothes would have been a nice touch.
Here's the reason the magi brought such extravagant (and pretty much impractical) gifts. They were led by the star to pay homage to a child king. Chances are they expected a kid who had everything, not one who essentially had nothing. They were prepared to bow down to this boy king, so they brought gifts worthy of royalty.
These three men are the only ones we know of who showed up with presents. Other stories of gifts for the Baby Jesus are merely legends, like that of the Little Drummer Boy (which I personally love -- I play Mannheim Steamroller's arrangement of that song over and over at Christmas time). So basically the three wise guys set the standard for what we should bring to our Lord Christ. Later in the Gospel, the woman who bathes Jesus' feet with expensive oil and dries them with her hair reminds us again that the best we have is what we're called on to bring to the Savior.
So, Ladies, what's the best you have right now that you can bring to God-in-Christ?
What's your gold? What's so solid and pure in you, in yoru life, that it could even stand the test of fire (or peer pressure or the hunger to belong or the need to prove yourself?)
What's your frankincense? What's so sweetly healing in you that it could bring comfort to people when the artificial or trendy things they reach for don't do the job?
What's your myrrh? What is it in your spirit that helps bury the dead stuff that the world wants to keep alive, like materialism and discrimination and the pressure to be perfect?
Those aren't easy questions, so some examples might help:
* I think my gold is my refusal to give up hope. No matter how bad things get (and believe me, sometimes they dip pretty low!), there is always a core of hope in me. Even when I'm wailing and gnashing my teeth, I bring my hope to my Lord.
* As for my frankincense, I think that's my writing gift. It seems to help people, especially girls, heal from the wounds of the slashing, biting, angry world. When it can't heal, maybe it comforts. I like to think so anyway. That's why I keep doing it.
* "Myrrh is mine," the third wise man sings, and I would have to say mine is journaling. Every morning I try to bury what's dead as I scribble my thoughts before the day really gets rolling. Sometimes it tries to resurrect itself; old stuff doesn't go down quietly and easily. But I have put a lot of dead issues to rest in the countless pages of my personal writing. It's sort of like what Jesus talks about when he says the branches have to be pruned and burnede so new growth can happen.
Obviously this is going to require a lot of thought and imagination, but you have a whole week, right? See if you can discover your own gold, frankincense and myrrh and share it with our little blog community. You ladies have such riches to share, so please do. I think Christ the King is waiting.
Blessings,
Nancy Rue
Don't forget the blog party!!!
February 3 and 4!!!
