Three French Hens

         Now that we've gotten all of that sorted, we are free to enjoy this beautiful carol which, inaccuracies aside, focuses not so much on the Wisemen but what they represent. This is something I love about the older Carols, they're excellent at painting a picture. This one, albeit, was written rather recently in the 1800s, but still conveys that imagery, that scene that we have come to associate with Christmas. For me, in many ways, it's like and anchor for my mind, a picture that holds a thousand words spoken and unspoken about what I believe regarding Christmas and all its facets. You'll see more of that picture throughout the coming nine days. 

          For now, though, we all look at three as a symbolically important number, the idea of three wealthy travelers coming from a far country, following a star, and eventually coming to worship an infant king, born to a working class family whom nobody knows or cares about, is at once incongruous and intriguing. Yet the author doesn't stop at the picture, he draws a parallel, inviting us to come along...in true Christina Rossetti style, he agrees that we cannot bring the expensive gifts the magi brought, instead, we ought to offer Him the thing he came to redeem in the first place. Our hearts. The magi, kneeling before the Christ child offering priceless gifts is simply imagery for all of us, kneeling before the Lord of creation, offering Him the greatest thing we have; our very selves. 

          What greater gifts can we bestow on our Saviour, who loved us enough to humble Himself so for our sake? There is nothing else.

        Because I can, I want to add a sidenote to this. To everyone who would like to say that the wisemen's gifts were not practical, or to those who say had they been there they would have given something infinitely more useful, or any other such nonsense, let me say this. Those gifts were by far the most practical that could be given. The family was about to hoof it off to Egypt for a time. How else, do you imagine, they supported themselves during that time? All of you who ask for gift cards and prefer money as a Christmas gift know exactly what I'm talking about. Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh served a more practical purpose than any other more "Practical" thing they might have given which would have been gone in a day or week along with all its warm fuzziness. Those of us who live nice cushioned lives have no idea how much the gifts that were given would have meant to the little family about to be uprooted from their very homeland for a season.

        (If you're wondering where all that vitriol came from, it was fueled by a perfectly horrendous plaque I saw in a church I sang at in Aberdeen, talking about how much better it would have been had the three wisemen been three wisewomen. It was dreadfully stupid and ignorant and made me mad.)

        And on that lovely note I present to you Peter Cornelius' Three Kings From Persian Lands Afar

Three kings from Persian lands afar
to Jordan follow the pointing star:
And this the quest of the travellers three,
where the new-born King of the Jews may be.
Full royal gifts they bear for the King:
Gold, incense, myrrh are their offering.

The star shines out with steadfast ray;
the kings to Bethlehem make their way,
and there in worship they bend the knee,
as Mary's child in her lap they see;
their royal gifts they show to the King:
Gold, incense, myrrh are their offering.

Thou child of man, lo, to Bethlehem
the kings are trav'ling, travel with them!
The star of mercy, the star of grace,
shall lead thy heart to its resting place.
Gold, incense, myrrh thou canst not bring:
Offer thy heart to the infant King, offer thy heart!

 What is our offering of Gold, Frankincense, or myrrh that we will bear to Christ this season? 

How precious is it to us, really? 

Are we actually giving Him our whole hearts or selfishly hoarding a part for ourselves? 

     Something to think on this season.

            Until Tomorrow,

                    ~ Christianna