| DECEMBER 4, 2010 -- As the year draws to a close let us consider that Christmas is truly our story. The Christ Spirit permeates your consciousness and becomes a vital part of your humanity. The inn represents your intellect. There was no room in the inn, the baby was born in a manger, which symbolizes your heart, your emotions. It does not make any difference what the condition of your heart is, Christ can be born there.
Joseph, the human father of Jesus, represents the intellectual nature. Our intellect can serve an important father role to protect, guide and support a new spiritual awareness in us by maintaining the right state of mind. Mary symbolizes the inspired activity of our emotional nature as the highest emotional experience we can have, pure intuition. This how the Christ Spirit comes to us through intuitive insight. Herod, as the autocratic false self is also part of our intellect. Always threatened by something new he tries to kill the idea.
The shepherds introduce us to the inner scene of our intellectual and emotional process. The shepherd is the humble, often simple type of thought process that watches and tends the flock of inner feelings with care. Angels represent messages from God as divine inspiration and guidance which bring good tidings of great joy.
The three wise men were really Magi who represented the kind of higher wisdom and spiritual insight than can come right into our ordinary thoughts and feelings when we are open to the “Great Star.” The star represents the possibilities of our own Christhood. When we have the open and receptive consciousness symbolized by the Magi, our higher Christlike aspirations always lead to an awareness of our divine potential. The three gifts we give Christ for Christmas are a dedication of everything in our lives to God, a deeper commitment to prayer and a trusting surrender of the lesser in our lives for the greater, higher consciousness. So along with the more traditional ways you celebrate Christmas this year, set aside some quiet time of prayer and contemplation devoted to the inner drama of the Christmas story. |
