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The Essential Meaning of Christmas
W. Howard Coop, 32°
T
o seek more light and to follow it is the desire of every Freemason.
Everywhere—in our homes, in our churches, and in our towns—colorful decorations, designed and displayed to command attention, are in place. In a dramatic way, these attractive and eye-catching displays help to create a festive atmosphere as the cold and dreary days of winter begin and replace the warmer and brighter days of fall.
While some of these decorations are nothing more than sparkling glitter used to focus attention upon the changing season when the winter solstice arrives, others are, indeed, meaningful and traditional symbols that have been used for centuries to remind everyone looking at them of the essential meaning of Christmas.
From the historical record as we have it, it is known that about twenty centuries ago a brilliant star appeared in the eastern sky. Wise Men, sometimes called Magi, from the East, whose responsibility included watching the heavenly bodies and studying their movements to discern meaning, saw that star and recognized that something of universal significance was about to happen. So, guided by that star and the light emanating from it, those wise men left their homes somewhere in the region of Mesopotamia and traveled to Jerusalem. There, they asked about one who, they believed, was born to be a king so they might acknowledge and adore him.
After being directed to Bethlehem in Judea, they found a newborn baby in a manger, and, kneeling before that child, they presented to him royal gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, after receiving the light of understanding, they departed for their homeland by another way.
Through the intervening centuries, a star and the light emanating from it have been powerful symbols pointing to the essential meaning of Christmas. The Manger Child, Jesus of Nazareth, was born in a crude stable and, after being wrapped in swaddling cloths, was laid in a manger in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King. He is the Light of the World. Like the Wise Men, those who follow Him “will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12, RSV).
To seek more light and to follow it is the desire of every Freemason.
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W. Howard Coop is a retired United Methodist Minister and has been a Mason since 1952. He is a Past Master of Lancaster Lodge No. 104, currently serving as Chaplain and member of W.R. Selby, Sr., Chapter No. 4, Danville, Kentucky, and the Scottish Rite Bodies of Louisville, Kentucky. Bro. Coop can be reached at 111 Dogwood Dr., Lancaster, KY 40444, HKCOOP@aol.com.
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