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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-12-19, Page 24leisure. features and entertainment Crossroads. Wednesday, Dec. 19, 1984 Serving over 24,000 homes in Listowel, Wingham, Mount Forest, Milverton, Ariss, Arthur, Drayton, Harriston, Moorefield, Palmerston, Bloomingdale, Breslau, Conestogo, Elmira, Heidelberg, Linwood, Maryhill, St. Clements, St. Jacobs, Wallenstein, Wellesley and West Montrose. 1 It was very quiet in the astronomical observatory atop the 2iggurath at the edge of the desert some distance to the west of the great city of Babylon. When darkness had fallen the two young Babylonian astronomers, who regular- ly manned the observation post to scan the wide, clear. heavens spreading on high, had climbed to the summit along the upward -winding walkway. Now they were gazing at the night sky. Myri- ads of stars twinkled, white or bluish or reddish, above them. Here in the still- ness at desert's edge, one almost ima- gined hearing a faint crackle, a small echo, as if the starry host was singing together and clapping its hands on high in praise of the Lord of Creation. Routinely watching the sky for un- usual or special stellar configurations or other extraordinary celestial phenomena, the pair of star watchers whom we shall call Makron and Arpad, settled down for a night of watching and waiting. In the shelter high above the desert only a few murmured words now and then betrayed the presence of hu- man beings. Fully awake and with pro- fessional ardor and no doubt reverenti- al fascination they studied the myster- ies of heaven and stars. NEW STAR APPEARS Suddenly 'Makron nudged his com- panion sharply in the side and then both watched in wonderment a star of un- usual brightness, a star shooting rays on all sides, rise above the horizon in the west. It rose before the astonished eyes of the star gazers till it stood a hand breadth and a half above the hori- zon, and there it stood firm. Its rays spread upward and to the sides, while a multicolored beam pointed downward, fixing itself as it were on a point beyond the horizon. Dumbstruck, the learned pair watched the unusual and awe-in- spiring phenomenon unfold before their astounded gaze. When Arpad finally re- gained his voice, he exclaimed: "Mak- ron, my friend, the portents of Heaven are speaking of momentous happenings beyond the edge of the sky. Who knows what they foretell if not the birth of some future great leader, a man of con- sequence and promoter of peace, a benefactor of mankind who will unite all mankind in a mighty kingdom of brotherhood where all wars have ceased and justice will reign." "Truly that would be a day of joy for mankind," Makron exulted. "Which people of all the earth have suffered more in war and through cruelty than our people of Mesopotamia? For thou- sands of years blood has been shed in our land in interminable conflicts be- tween city and city, between proud Babylonian arid cruel, fierce Assyrian. Even now from the west, upstart Rome frequently tests our national mettle and determmnation to remain a free nation by provoking bloody border incidents." "Do you know what I was thinking about, Arpad?" Makron continued. "You no doubt remember our school days when we studied astronomy, geo- graphy and history at the feet of our teacher Josias, the learned Jew and one of the most learned academicians at the University of Babylon?" "Do you remember how the learned Jewish professor on occasion deviated from his routine schedule of lessons and regaled us with the history of his own Jewish people when they still dwelt in the land of Palestine in the west? The Jews still seemed very attached to their former homeland, whence they had been brought as captives to Mesopo- tamia after some revolt against their Babylonian overlords. Josias often spdke of the promises which assured. them of the birth and reign of a future king endowed with a power and a spirit of peace as was never seen among the Jewish nation before. What was even more astounding, the reign of this Jew- ish Prince of Peace would some day ex- tend to the farthest corners of the world, according to Josias." After these words, Makron and Arpad watched again in silent awe the star in the west, twinkling and twitching till the first glimmer of morning light colored the desert sand. Then a strange unrest stirred the heart of the two men and without speaking to one another, but merely pointing to the west, where, wonder of all wonders, the star was still visible despite the rising dawn, they laid down their travel plans. Irresistibly they were drawn to the spot at Which the downward ray pointed. It was not only a professional urge to solve the mystery, but above all a deep longing to lay eyes on the promised Prince of Peace which made them make haste. FOLLOW THE STAR They travelled fast_' The hooves of their camels stirred the desert sand for hours on end and out in front rode Mak- ron and Arpad, the hot desert wind blowing in their faces, their eyes fixed on the western horizon. Seldom has a camel caravan travers- ed the desert faster and in a shorter time. High on top of their camels, the two Babylonian astronomers kept their sharp eyes trained on the skyline ahead of them, where it met the undulating, sandy plain. Towards evening when the azure of the sky darkened, the star shone again in renewed brightness and seemed to promise and foretell an ever - closer revelation of, its inherent mean- ing and import. Four nights the travellers from Babylonia spent the hours of darkness beside their camels under the expanse of the night sky, spreading as a vast cupola over the silent desert. Their es- cort, half a dozen camel riders, hired to accompany. them on the journey across the sandy desert wastes and to tend their baggage. As well, they carried a considerable quantity of other freight, particularly oriental treasure like prec- ious metals and costly perfumes. During the day the servants could hardly keep up to their tempestuous., hard -riding young masters heading west at breakneck spead. It was as if they were drawn by some magnet force and the servants, bringing up the rear, muttered in their dark beards more than once about the follies of youth, wanting to ride so recklessly toward their goal, wherever that might be. Mostly the night was passed beside some waterhole and in the neighbor- hood of some Bedouin tents. In the morning, at the crack of dawn, they were off again. STRANGERS APPEAR Toward noon of the third day two camel riders were seen descending the slopes of the ridge on the horizon to- ward the south. They were riding fast and their bearing spoke of much exper- ience in the saddle. Swiftly the unknown travellers, by all appearances a high- born personage accompanied by his valet, closed the gap separating them from the little caravan of the Babyloni- ans. Now the two groups met and faced each other under the blazing sun of a desert high noon. With astonishment the Babylonian travellers noticed the different trappings and accoutrements of the camels these strangers were rid- ing. What struck them most however, was no doubt, the dark complexion, the almost ebony visage of what was ap- parently the man in charge of the mysterious twosome which so suddenly had come across their path. An undeniable nobleness marked his dark features and in the eyes of the leader gleamed what could best be termed a look of anticipation. On occa- sion his gaze seemed to wander off, far away, right over the heads of the others. The dark -complexioned stranger, during the short ensuing parley, point- ed toward.the spot where every evening the star had appeared in new bright- ness. Then Makron and Arpad realized that a fellow -pilgrim had crossed their way. Were they not down south, in the land by the sources of the Nile, where black men dwelt, also reputed to be centres of learning where astronomy and the heavens were studied? Had they not been told that considerable By John H. Martens Meeting at the manger, meeting an the mountain remnants of ancient Egyptian knowl- edge about science, geography and re- lated disciplines had blossomed in an- cient Ethiopia? CLOSE TO JORDAN One in purpose, if not in language, the Babylonians and their black companion and peer in knowledge and hope, were soon on their way again and when the next day the land became gradually greener and they encountered more frequently small settlements they knew that they were nearing their destina- tion. In the valley of River Jordan they rested their camels for a few days and the hardy beasts feasted on the leaves of willow trees and the succulent grass of well -watered meadows. Little Bed- ouin boys offered their services and kept, for a few coins, an eye on the ani- mals of the apparently well-to-do travellers from the East. Makron and Arpad, with their new acquaintance, Caspar the Ethiopian, inquired among the local inhabitants whether they knew anything regarding the new-born prince. At night the star was, without fail, brightly shining from afar, loaded, as it were, with promise. To their aston- ishment and puzzlement however, the Bedouins seemed to be ignorant of any such happening. All they knew to tell was about King Herod, who reigned in Jerusalem. Her- od was a cruel despot,so they told the men from the east; he had even mur- dered his wife anti two of his sons be- sides a multitude. of relatives. Now he was getting old. I -Ie was a very sick man, it was rumored, and dangerous to approach. But .i;ne wanted to know mire, about the birth of a royal prince, then no doubt the royal court was the place to make inquiries. The little caravan crossed the River Jordan and the Bedouin urchins ran alongside the camels as long as they could keep up. The Babylonians and their dark companion waved goodbye and tossed a last handful of coins from the saddle while their camels gathered speed. Toward evening the walls of Jerusa- lem and its temple came into sight. The temple, partially finished, was still un- der construction by the workmen of Herod the Great, who in person had en- visioned the grand scheme of erecting a House of Worship of Jehovah even more --s-plendid than Solomon's famous temple. Still the Star led the way to- wards the city of David and beyond. SPEAK TO HEROD Their bearing and self-confidence, their self-assurance and authoritative glance, as well as undeniable aura of importance attaching to these strang- ers, who had appeared so suddenly in Jerusalem made considerable impres- sion on the guards stationed at the main tr nce to Herod's palace. It was re- por d to the king that some travellers afar desired to be received in aud- ience. Herod was curious. Were these strangers perhaps ambassadors of some potentate in the east, who had come to talk about matters of mutual interest or were they perhaps bringing him, Herod the Great, as he was known, tribute in words of praise, treasure and offers of friendship? To their dismay the visitors found King Herod a very sick man. When they spoke of their conviction that a newborn Prince of Peace had recently seen the first light of life somewhere in Herod's realm (for that was where the Star had led them), Herod paled. He almost jumped up in anger at the words of the strangers from the east, for there was no king but Herod. But he controlled himself and summoned the most knowl- edgeable and learned of the Jewish the- ologians. Herod knew, of course, of the hope living in the hearts of the Jews, the hope for the coming of the Messiah. The king was well-informed regarding the Jewish religion and its Messianic ex- pectations. Herod feigned great interest when the Jewish scribes pointed out that the Messiah would be born in nearby Beth- lehem and the king shared outwardly in the joy of the astronomers when they finally were told the name of the town in which to look for the newborn prince. Arpad felt uneasy in the presence of the king, whose shifty eyes seemed barely to hide great fear and suspicion. The king's voice was hoarse and trembled when inquiring about the newborn prince, whom the Jewish scribes seemed to identify with the Messiah, the expected liberator and ruler of Israel. Despite Herod's apparently not being in robust health, theremust be some- thing else bothering him and that was his fear of losing his throne and king- dom to a national king, a king off Jewish blood. Herod knew very well that the Jews would never accept him, an Edo - mite or Idumaean, with their whole heart, although he had converted to Judaism. The travellers took their leave of Herod and promised to return and tell him where they had found the royal child they came to honor and adore. Herod insisted on this, for he himself, so he maintained, wanted to do homage to the little Prince. Arpad thought he detected a grimace of hatred on the face of Judah's king when he accompanied his guests to the inner court of the palace to see them off. When the camels trudged out the gate the court dignitary had led them, ac- cording to custom and as a sign of the king's respect for his guests, to the out- skirts of Jerusalem, muttered to the travelling threesome: `'Luck has it, that you are on your way again, but let not the king lay,eyes on you for a second time. Any mention of a possible rival or contender for the throne brings out the devil in home and you are lucky to have escaped his wrath. Somehow the pur- pose of your coming and your plans to bring homage to a mighty prince of the future, (although he must still be an in- fant and you do not even know for cer- tain where to find him) have become known to the people of Jerusalem and caused great' excitement among them. If you want to survive don't confront the king again, for Herod knows of the ten- sion among the Jews and he may blame you for thi r • u visit him once more." Wit hese.words Herod's official had re-ent,-red the south gate of Jerusalem. NEWBNGOR\ TO BETHLEHEM Straight ahead of the travellers the star shone in undiminished brightness. It seemed very close and its uppermost rays, fading away gradually to a soft light, illuminated the heavens. Where the very sun had reached its zenith at noontime, the other stars, usually so bright in these latitudes during the hours of night and darkness, only seem- ed to play the role of minor attendants ata solemn and festive gathering. Travelling with measured step on ac- count of the night and possible pitfalls in the road, the learned trio noticed the almost rainbow -like downward beam settle on the roofs of a little town near- by, clearly illuminating and outlining the contours of the settlement now com- ing ever clearer into view. To their astonishment it halted and attached itself to a low roof in the mer- chants' quarter of town and there it re- mained and moved no more. The well-bred and well-groomed visitors from the East soon entered what proved to be a stable for horses and mules, flanked by quarters for grooms and stable attendants. They stumbled through narrow passageways towards where they heard a woman's voice sweetly singing a Jewish lullaby. In faith they laid eyes on little Lord Je- sus. Through the open door fell the light of the Star, revealing to them the living proof of the love of God Almighty. Jesus' mother Mary, did not still her song off tender, motherly affection. Ong her right cheek a little birthmark only stressed the perfect serenity of her face. Serenity and happiness were reflect- ed on her face, for she knew the myster- ies of God's plan and in her heart she accepted the words and adoration of the visitors from the far -away East as she had what the shepherds of Ephrata had told her regarding her little son. Had not the shepherds heard, straight from the mouths of angels, of the future ac- complishments of her first-born son Je- sus? Mary's husband Joseph had looked a little longer at Melchior, the dark astro- nomer, than at the others and his foot had momentarily stopped rocking the little cradle. There had been a long si- lence around Jesus' humble crib. Then the wise and learned men unpacked their gifts and offered them with words of homage, each in their own speech, to the Christ Child and Melchior, the astronomer from Ethiopia kneeled down, along with his companions at the feet of the child's cradle and rhythmic- ally moving, brought praise in the old Ethiopian language spoken long ago by the legendary queen of ancient Sheba. WORSHIPPED IN FAITH When the time came to leave there was no more light from an extremely bright star reflecting on the roof and falling through the open door. Neither was it necessary. For the wise men had found the Messiah, the Prince of Peace. They found him as a young child in low- ly quarters and they worshipped Him in faith. During the remaining hours of dark- ness, resting in preparation for their journey home the next day, God warned them to return home along a different route without seeing Herod. In hast t wise men had come, in haste they -de- parted from the realm of murderous King Herod. The little boys by the fords of Jordan waited in vain, for the men from the East did not return that way. More than thirty years later, Arpad was sent by his government on a diplo- matic mission to King Herod. The mis- sion had something to do with a border dispute between Rome and Parthia.' Babylonia and Mesopotamia were both part of the latter Kingdom. Arpad had become a counsellor to the Parthian ruler of his homeland and his knowl- edge, diplomatic tact and familiarity with the westerly route through the des- ert made him an ideal choice for the diplomatic undertaking. Herod Anti - pas, son of Herod the Great, reigned in Galilee by this time (c. 25 A.D.) and to him Arpad was sent by his sovereign. To Herod Antipas, as plenipotentiary for the Roman side, Parthia's king wanted to submit proposals, aimed at ending the strife and incidents at the Roma n-Parthian border. Again Arpad travelled through the desert, but this time without his friends of yore. No bright star was beckoning him and leading the way. In the Jordan valley the little boys of yesteryear were grown up men now, with'weather-beaten Bedouin faces and only one or two remembered the wise and learned men from the east who had camped among them a day or two long ago. On his way to Tiberias, Herod Anti - pas' capital, Arpad, the emissary from Parthia, chanced to happen on an enor- mous Jewish crowd, sitting or standing on the lower slopes of a green hill, listening spellbound to a speaker who apparently had the rare gift of holding his audience in thrall. In fascination Arpad joined the audience and took his place close to the Jewish rabbi, who held forth so eloquently. Close by the speaker's side a few women were sit- ting in the green grass. Where had he seen that one woman before, or was it just his imagination that told him he had seen her earlier, although long ago? Then he knew and he remembered the starlight falling through the door on a woman's face, accentuated by a little birthmark and on a young child, barely a week old, a prince. The preacher nodded to Arpad the diplomat and Arpad knew that he was beholding again the Prince of Peace land his heart filled with joy, just as on that star -filled night long ago, when he found for the first time the royal child. Truly it was an honor to be entrusted with a diplomatic mission by a worldly king, but what did this mean compared to having been privileged to meet the Prince of Peace not once, but twice? He bowed, as he had done in the stable of Bethlehem and continued on his way and his eyes reflected some- thing of the brightness of the star of yore, the Star of Bethlehem. 47'1-