If you have been keeping up, you know that I do not believe that the Bible is literally true. As such many people have said that I don't believe the Bible. That is not true. I do believe the Bible. There is a world of difference in saying "I don't believe the Bible is literally true" and saying "I don't believe the Bible is true." This is not an argument about the Bible, it's about the glory of Christmas.
Bear with me here. I end up saying, "Yes it's true! It's all true!" I just get there in a round-a-bout way.
As a believer in all things Christmas, I don't think anything is more beautiful than the birth narrative in Luke Chapter 2. "And it came to pass in those days" begins a magnificent and other-worldly story of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem. The miracle of their newborn son in a stable. The visitations of angels and shepherds. The story is marvelous and magical. Is it true? Of course it's true. This story is the engine that powers all of Christmas world-wide. There is no secular and sacred at Christmastime. It's all sacred. Saint Nicholas :::::::> Sinterklaas:::::::::::> Santa Claus. There's no escape!
Years ago I was enjoying a very secular science fiction book. The heroes of the book at the time were orbiting a planet in some distant star system of a far away galaxy. I was there with them in this "galaxy far, far away". I about fell over when one of those characters referring to some cosmic event said to the other, "But all that changed at Bethlehem."
But right out of the gate there are technical problems with the story. Whereas Luke 2 reports that Jesus was born when Quirinius was governor of Syria, Matthew 2 reports that Jesus was born during the reign of Herod the Great. Historians tell us that Herod the Great died in 4BC. That means that Jesus was born four years "before Christ." Historians also tell us that Quirinus ruled Syria during 6AD. So according to the account Jesus was born six years after "the birth of Christ." Besides the discrepancy, either time creates a huge problem with the calendar. And the story.
Matthew is the only gospel writer who mentions the Magi from the East. The Magi as you know found the Christ child by following a star that settled over the manger. A star over the manger? A star, any star in any star system, is a blazing inferno. Our star, which is 93 million miles away, is hot enough to send you to the hospital if you stay out unprotected for several hours in the heat of a summer day. You may say, well thousands of sailors navigated by the north star without getting burned. I'm just saying that the narrative says that the star "stopped over the place where the child was." That's what the Bible says happened.
So is my point to say "This Christmas don't believe any of it" ? God forbid!! My point is exactly the opposite. I'm saying "This Christmas believe all of it!" Suspend your disbelief and bask in the glory of the Lord! Over 30 years ago, just when I was about to throw the truth of the Bible out with the literal bathwater, I discovered the writings of Joseph Campbell. After reading The Power of Myth, The Hero With a Thousand Faces, The Masks of God (four volumes), The Inner Reaches of Outer Space and other of his works, I, for the first time, understood the power of stories in our lives. Including Bible stories. "Myth" doesn't mean that the story is not true. "Myth" means that the story IS true. All of a sudden all the stories of the Bible that I could no longer accept as "literally true" , became true in ways that they had never before been true. The "myth" of the birth of Jesus is one of the most powerful and life-changing stories in the world culture. What would Christmas be without the star, the angels, the shepherd, the wise men, the animals standing in awe around the baby in the manger? "The first Noel, the angel did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay. Noel! Noel! Noel Noel! Born is the King of Israel ! They look-ed up and saw a star shining in the east beyond them far. And to the earth it gave great light and so it continued both day and night. Noel ! Noel! Noel! Noel! Born is the King of Israel."
These astonishing carols that we sing year after year tell a story that needs to be told. A story that must be told. My scientific mind may shout"Stars don't do that!" but my Joseph Campbell drenched brain screams back, "Oh yes, at Christmas they do. At Christmas anything is possible. At Christmas everything is possible!"
You say "What about 'peace on earth, goodwill to men' , is that possible? Find a baby, any baby, borrow a baby if you need to. Rock the baby in a quiet room in front of a crackling fire. Then hold the baby asleep in your arms. Yes, it's possible.
Albert Einstein spent the last forty years of his life in a futile attempt of finding the principal, the formula, that unifies all of physics. Most call it his "string theory." He spent that time also in the futile attempt at finding a way to world peace. He thought that peace could only be achieved by having a single world government. I say forget a government's path to peace. That will probably never happen. Instead find peace one sleeping baby at a time. Starting with that baby in Bethlehem.
"Then let us all with one accord sing praises to our heavenly Lord. Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Born is the King of Israel."
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