Dwain Northey (Gen X)

If we are going to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ according to the traditional Nativity story, perhaps we ought to pay a little attention to the events that supposedly happened before the big day. After all, Christmas didn’t just happen because Mary showed up at a stable one evening with a newborn and a supporting cast of livestock. There was apparently a fair amount of divine scheduling, celestial navigation, and international travel involved.

And if we take the biblical account seriously, particularly the story of the Magi, then somewhere around this time of year, or within the next few weeks, those distinguished gentlemen from the East should be getting their celestial notification that something rather extraordinary is about to happen in Bethlehem.

Think about the logistics for a moment.

According to the traditional interpretation, the Magi were traveling from somewhere in the East, often associated with Persia or Babylon. Depending on their actual point of departure, their route, and the method of travel, the journey to Bethlehem could have taken four to six weeks, possibly longer. These weren’t three fellows hopping on a direct flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. They were traveling by camel, horseback, and whatever other transportation was available in the ancient world. No GPS, no Google Maps, no roadside convenience stores, and certainly no Starbucks to keep the camel caravan caffeinated.

Which means that if they were going to arrive anywhere near the time of Jesus’ birth, their journey would have needed to begin well before the delivery.

So perhaps we should be celebrating the Magi’s notification right about now.

Imagine the scene. Somewhere in the East, a group of astronomically inclined gentlemen are minding their own business when the heavens decide to put on a little show. A star appears, apparently significant enough that these men conclude a king is about to be born somewhere in Judea. Not just any king, mind you, but the King of the Jews. And rather than sending a letter, dispatching a messenger, or waiting for confirmation, they apparently decide to pack up some expensive gifts and head west.

Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Because apparently even the Son of God needed a welcome basket.

There is something wonderfully peculiar about this story. The angels announce the birth to shepherds in the fields, while the Magi receive their information through astronomical observation. One group gets an angelic announcement, the other gets a celestial billboard. Heaven seems to have multiple communication departments, and apparently nobody thought to establish a central notification system.

Of course, there is another little detail worth mentioning. The biblical account in Matthew doesn’t actually say there were three Magi. It mentions three gifts, and somewhere along the way Christian tradition decided that three gifts must mean three gift-bearing gentlemen. Apparently, biblical mathematics works a little differently when Christmas pageants need casting.

And Matthew doesn’t even say they arrived at the stable on the night Jesus was born. In fact, the account describes them visiting a house and refers to Jesus as a child. The familiar Christmas-card arrangement of shepherds, wise men, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and a strategically positioned donkey all gathered together in one picturesque scene is more of a theological group portrait than a precise historical timeline.

But let’s not let historical details interfere with a perfectly good opportunity to celebrate.

If we’re going to follow the traditional Nativity chronology, then sometime in the coming weeks, those Magi should be receiving their invitation to the greatest birth announcement in human history. They will need to saddle up, gather their provisions, check their celestial navigation, and start making their way toward Bethlehem.

And perhaps that is a more interesting way to approach the Christmas season. Before we get wrapped up in shopping, decorations, commercialized cheer, and the annual argument about whether somebody has put the Christmas lights up too early, let’s remember that the story itself begins with anticipation.

A child is coming. A star is appearing. Travelers are preparing for a long journey. Shepherds are going about their ordinary business, completely unaware that their evening is about to become a permanent fixture in religious history.

And somewhere in the East, three men who may or may not actually number three are preparing to undertake a journey that will eventually make them some of the most recognizable visitors in religious tradition.

So here’s to the Magi.

May their camels be healthy, their provisions plentiful, their navigation accurate, and their gift-wrapping skills adequate. They have a long way to go, and apparently the destination is rather important.

And if you happen to see an unusually bright star over the next few weeks, don’t immediately assume it’s a drone, a government surveillance balloon, or Elon Musk trying to sell you something.

It might just be the beginning of the original Christmas road trip.

Happy Magi Notification Season. The wise men are about to hit the road, and Bethlehem is going to need a bigger parking lot.