O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
We all know the favorite Christmas hymn that is
really for Epiphany: We Three Kings. It was written by John H. Hopkins, Jr. in 1857
for a Christmas pageant at General Theological Seminary in NYC. The refrain, to
me, speaks of the attitude we all should have toward God, esp. during the
season of Epiphany when we hear of the many ways God in Christ is made manifest
to the world. An attitude of amazement and awe that God has come among us and is still with us!
The magi of old saw a sign in the stars and followed
it to Bethlehem where they found a child who was the King of Kings. Henry van
Dyke’s classic tale, The Other Wise Man,
tells how Artaban and his companions realized that the time was fulfilled:
Artaban answered: "It has been shown to me and
to my three companions among the Magi--Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. We have
searched the ancient tablets of Chaldea and computed the time. It falls in this
year. We have studied the sky, and in the spring of the year we saw two of the
greatest planets draw near together in the sign of the Fish, which is the house
of the Hebrews. We also saw a new star there, which shone for one night and
then vanished. Now again the two great planets are meeting. This night is their
conjunction. My three brothers are watching by the ancient Temple of the Seven
Spheres, at Borsippa, in Babylonia, and I am watching here. If the star shines
again, they will wait ten days for me at the temple, and then we will set out
together for Jerusalem, to see and worship the promised one who shall be born
King of Israel. I believe the sign will come. I have made ready for the
journey. I have sold my possessions, and bought these three jewels--a sapphire,
a ruby, and a pearl--to carry them as tribute to the King. And I ask you to go
with me on the pilgrimage, that we may have joy together in finding the Prince
who is worthy to be served."*
In Van Dyke’s story, the rest of the Magi refuse to
believe Artaban and he sets out alone to join Caspar, Melchoir, and Balthazar.
Along the way, he pauses to help an injured man and so misses the rendezvous.
Then he spends his life seeking the Child, always a step behind, using his gifts to help others, until at the
end he comes to the Cross and learns that “The Other Wise Man had found the
King.”*
Many times, I find myself more like the magi who
stayed behind, too concerned about the day-to-day routine to pause and see that
there is a “star of wonder, star of light”
leading to the wonder of God incarnate as a Babe in a manger and in the beauty
of a stormy sky and in the eyes of the tired clerk at the store…
During this Epiphany season, until Ash Wednesday, on
February 13, come explore with me some of the glory around us that tells of the
wonder of God. From a pristine snow fall to a homeless man; from a tree starkly
bare in winter to a child’s first prayer; from hymns sung by choirs to the
caterwauling of a cat fight; from the scent of a new blown rose to raw
gasoline; from rough waves to a tender touch; from the majesty of cathedrals to
the poorest of hovels-God is present. Perhaps like Artaban, in these weeks of Epiphany we can see in each of these and more
the perfect light foretold by the star of
wonder. Come let us adore him.
*The Other Wise Man, Henry Van Dyke, 1895
