The Myth, Meaning, and Magic of the Christmas Story
Jesus, Superman, and Other Heroes
The other night I was geeking out watching Superman: Man of Steel, the 2013 reboot of the Superman legend. The movie is about Superman’s origins—his birth and flight from Krypton and his being raised by a farming family in Kansas. His birth story sets the stage for everything else that is to come in his life: his character, his struggles, his identity being a child of two worlds, and ultimately his heroism. Most superhero stories operate in this way. Batman is about overcoming fear. Spiderman is about power and responsibility. (Did someone say “geeking out?”) The Christmas story operates in the same way. They are a prelude, a preview, of everything else that is to come in the rest of the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life. The are Gospels in miniature. Most times we think of the Christmas story as one story, but really, its the combination of two stories, one from the Gospel of Matthew and one from Luke. Matthew and Luke are the only Gospels that tell the story of Jesus’ birth and they each tell the story differently. Luke focuses on Mary and has shepherds and angels. Matthew focuses on Joseph and has the star and the wise men. Luke has Mary and Joseph traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Matthew says they were already in Bethlehem. They each have a different focus, a different audience, and a different variation on the meaning of Jesus' birth. The Christmas story as a whole is enduring and endearing. It is magical, mythical, and meaningful. It is one of the most beloved stories of all time.
Just the Facts?
But what about some of those pesky details? That whole virgin birth thing? How did that happen? And what about, as scholars point out, that there is no historical record of any census, and, anyway, it could not have happened at the time when the Gospel say? Or that this must have happened at a different time of year because shepherds wouldn't have been out in the fields with their flocks in December? How important are the facts in this or any story? What gives stories their truth and meaning? Is it the facts or something else, something more? Often, when we talk about the Bible we talk about truth in terms of factual evidence, but I think the truth emerges from this and other stories in the Bible is the deeper truth it tells about us, our world, our human condition, and about God. Like all great stories, there is a depth and richness that goes beyond "just the facts."
A few questions
What speaks to you most in the Christmas story? What resonates? What do you cherish? What about the story challenges or confuses you? What questions do you have? Does something have to be factual to be true? What if all the facts and historical details don’t line up? Does it detract from or enhance the story? Does it matter? photo: Vigil Lamps under the Altar of the Nativity, Bethlehem. Photo credit: Guillaume Paumier