Three Kings

They came from who knows where. Out of the darkness, like royal beings appearing in the night, fully self-possessed, and yet searching. Beautiful and bizarre, they bring expectation, and the knowledge that something is happening. There is a presence about them. They bring promise, fortitude, and a steady gaze. And, they bring it all, into my living room each solstice season.

I’m referring, of course, to the Three Wisemen, known as the Magi. My only Christmas, and Christian, decoration of the season. I have been long influenced by them. And they make their long journey into my living room each year. They come, I think, to remind me, and to refresh my intention. Their journey, through the desert, echoes my own, through the wasteland of commerce and sentimentalism, that governs this time and place. With them, I’m keeping my eyes, and my heart, focused on the light that shines in the darkness.

I’ve been inspired by their tireless journey. By the constancy of their seeking.  I need to be encouraged to persist. There are days when it is hard for me to get-up and face reality. I drag myself to the next moment. It is not a pretty scene, but an all too familiar one. I’ve lost my sense of direction, and my will to move. Then they reappear, carrying the gift they don’t give away— the gift they are. The darkness, becomes once more, the desert I’m traveling through, as I follow the light.

This is the season of darkness. And, it is getting so dark. Everything wears a shadow, portending some coming reckoning. Life seems to have become some kind of enemy. The Earth hurtles toward the unknown. A darkening is upon us.

But the Magi follow the light, and see it brightening even this darkening era. I am heartened by their steadfast demeanor. I go too, with expectation, and the wisdom of the seasons. The light always returns, and ultimately prevails.

We are approaching the Solstice, the darkest time of the year. It is time to celebrate! It is hard to know which is more germane to the moment — the darkness, or the returning light. Both are enriching. Both carry us. The darkness is most feared, carrying as it does, the unknown depths, the aspirations we dare not utter. The light is another matter, brilliant with hope, and sometimes blinding us, overshadowing good sense. All of it so human. We welcome the light, honor the darkness, and cross our fingers. Each of them is so potent.

The three arrive just in time. Who knows what myth originated them, whether they are of totally Christian origin, or of some even more ancient people — because they embody some awed aspect of being human. There is a place in the human spirit where there is a constant trek through bleakness and waste, following a brilliant possibility. The Magi, in that sense, are real. They carry the rich gifts of our heritage. They are ancient activists —keeping the faith — following the best in us. They arrive during this intersection, when darkness and light converge.

Nobody knows what the New Year, the return of the seasons will bring. We are equally blinded — by the darkness, and the returning light. This year will be what it will be. The Magi search through the desert, through our empty culture, through our yearning hearts. Always seeking. Following what has heart, meaning, and possibility.

Let them find you, and I, this year.