My thought on the 12th Day of Christmas…

I saw an advertisement that said, with a Nativity scene in the background, “You know it’s just a myth, right?”

And the answer for Christians should be, “Yes. The nativity scene, and the nativity as described in Matthew and Luke, is largely mythical. But they’re full of meaning.”

Just because it’s a myth doesn’t mean it is meaningless. In fact, I’d say it’s so full of meaning that simple parameters can’t hold it. Luke and Matthew want us to see the cosmic dimension of Divine revelation: heavenly bearings, both angelic and planetary, play a part in it. Disparate parts of humanity, from lowly shepherds to learned star gazers, play a part in it.

It’s so huge, that it can’t be contained in fact. It’s a cosmic drama that must be told in dramatic form.

Yes, those live nativity scenes are largely fake. But they’re also ultra-true.

You don’t need to believe that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and visited by magi or shepherds to understand that God’s presence in the world shook things from floor to rafters.

In fact, I don’t believe those things, and still find deep truth and power in the story.