| Guest Post by Chris Wong |
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:10-11
The manger scene, a beloved image of warmth, hope & oft featuring an adorable choir of animals singing in harmony. The ushering of an infant king as the 3 kings/ wise men come bearing gifts – Frankincense, Myrrh and Gold.
We’ve all heard many sermons or stories about the symbology related to these gifts from the men of Orient origin. As we imagine ourselves bringing these gifts and laying them before Christ we might find that we don’t have too much to give.
Frankincense – the worship of self.
These are harvested from barks of certain trees for it’s beautiful aroma and used for deity worship in the ancient near east. I am challenged with my own worship and pursuit of a good reputation in this world, in my career, a babel’s race of recognition towards being a who’s who. My Asian culture for respect regardless is often crippling when those little voices reinforce a belittling self doubt.
Myrrh – the worship of life.
Derived from the sap of another native Near East tree, these were used for their fragrance, medicinal qualities and for burial preparation. We relentlessly pursue elixirs, internet wives’ tales and pseudo-experts’ pitches, all because of a visceral desire to live forever. Alas, we discover elusive promises of living longer that might at best delay the inevitable, toward an (un)satisfying prolonging of our enjoyment of the temporal.
Gold – the worship of wealth.
Long held treasure from ancient times till today. Our investment plans and portfolio strategies to amass wealth, all things and dreams that ultimately fade into nothing more than what we’ll eventually leave behind.
A traditional carol wisely surmises that we can’t bring anything that the little drummer didn’t already figure out. So, we arrive at the manger’s witness of the birth of our Savior. We arrive laying down the the worship of our self, life and wealth – a bid to come and die that we might truly live.
The manger is no more potent unless realized with the union of the cross.
Photo artwork by Chris Wong: A Merry Eternity my friends.
About the piece: A simple rendition and expression of all things I hold dear, near and fear. My family, loved ones, my treasured possessions, my hopes, my wants and want-nots. My desires and my lusts. We make Christmas so much about me, I, we our kids – the manger is a pathetic construction of our temporal worship of self, life and wealth.