It had never occurred to me before, but it made sense. The minister in church pointed out that the first person mentioned in the Christmas story is Herod.
Everyone in the family has had a meltdown this week, over problems no bigger than a broken extension cord. Not third world problems like crossing the Mediterranean in a raft. First
world problems. Make that half world problems.
I was sitting outside with the chickens at dusk when I noticed that their lights had not flicked on yet. We have a timer to extend illumination for two hours in the winter, to encourage egg production. I went inside to check the plug. It had not jiggled out. I went to the coop to double check the bulb. Still in the outlet. Then I followed the cord between the coop and the house and found the reason. It was chewed
through by some nefarious creature. By now the sky was completely dark, but I rummaged for a different fifty foot cord to replaced the broken one. No light. I was getting huffy, and tried a third one. Nothing. I yelled to the twins to help, and they came scurrying. John suggested checking the outlet, which was dead. Hope went down to the bowels of the basement to look at the circuit breaker. Tripped. Apparently teeth or saliva on a live wire are enough to confuse a circuit. I deviously
hoped the misdeed gave the culprit a tooth ache.
Eventually the coops were bright with a yellow glow, and I calmed down from the escapade. But my negativity had triggered Ben. He ranted about the music playing the wrong song, and it took John a hunk of effort to reel him in.
When I am ankle deep in the irritations of an ordinary routine augmented by holiday expectations, I react. Badly. But when I climb up even as high as the
second floor of my mind I see it for what it is. Herod.
In the story I can look beneath the oily comments.
"When you find the young Child, bring me word, so that I may come and worship Him also."
Right. This was the same Herod that ordered hundreds of baby boys killed for no reason other than their age. But he wants to pay his respects?
Believing that a
severed cord is grounds for anger is as naive as falling for the ruse of a tyrannical monarch. But I can be wise. I can go a different way home.
Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have
found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary
His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. Matthew 2
