Journeying Home.

The world has transformed in a couple of hours, colours disappearing under a cover of white, a whiteness emphasised by the almost whiteness of the sky. It is an event that is seen differently. Some go out excitedly, for snowballs and fun; others pause to take photographs against the background of white flakes falling from the sky; others will dress up warmly and walk carefully, anxious to avoid a fall; still others will stay in, locked down by the potential for ice, slips and cold weather. Walking out on a pristine snow covered space, your footprints crunch, leaving a trail to show your path. The crunchiness is fine, but as more people gather, it becomes compacted and slippery; then you need to walk more carefully. It is an amazing sight, seeing the whiteness falling from the sky, gradually covering, grass, tarmac, layering tree branches and covering flowers. It is the time of the year for snow; it can excite and cause anxiety; it can look beautiful, while others see danger and cold.

 Both reactions are true; you can have fun in the snow, but it can also cause falls and broken bones. How we see snow may well depend on who we are, and what our circumstances are. But that is true for more than just the snow. Who we are, where we are, even how old we are, will affect how we respond to different situations. It is always worth bearing in mind that my truth is not necessarily the truth of others; that their disagreement with you may be coming from a different place.

But, of course, sometimes the truth of others can have serious consequences. Take the coming of the Wise Men. Their truth was that they had seen the star that proclaimed Jesus’ birth, and that this was worth the long and difficult journey, and the eventual arrival at Bethlehem. Herod had a different reaction; he saw Jesus’ coming as a threat; possibly to himself, but certainly to his dynasty. There was the fact of his Roman overlords, who would not take kindly to a new born King, although I am not sure that this was his priority. Whatever his reasoning, he did his best to ensure that the baby did not reach adulthood; very violently, and at much cost to the families of those who died. The Wise Men did find Jesus; on seeing him with his mother, they fell down and worshipped; then, from their treasure, they gave gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.  

So how do we react to Jesus’ coming? Is this a sweet story, to be celebrated every winter, but more or less ignored? Do we see Jesus as a threat, and respond accordingly? Do we believe in his coming, but keep that belief compartmentalised, apart from our daily life? Do we see Jesus, or just our desires? Or do we see the coming of the Word made Flesh, and worship? Where does that worship leave us? Are we able to give gifts out of our ‘treasure’?

Yes, I hear you saying, but I’m not a wise person from the East, with lots of treasure out of which to give something. But that is to limit the word ‘treasure’ to finance. Maybe we should extend the idea of treasure to include who we are, what gifts we have. That will depend on our ages and our circumstances, but we will all have something we can offer to Jesus, whether that be our money, our time, our prayer or simply ourselves. That latter may be the most important gift we can offer: ourselves to do and go where God leads us. Of course, that in itself can be complicated; where exactly is God leading us? But I think the offering of ourselves is deeper than this. It is simply to be there, willing to go; the offering may be as much in the exploration, than the arrival. Unlike the Wise Men, our journey is one we stay on throughout our lives. It may involve geographical journeys, but it may also be one that stays in the same place. After seeing Jesus, the Wise Men journeyed home along a different path; we do not need to journey home, for our home is in God.