We have all experienced or witnessed the reality of evil. Psychological, sociological, or economic theories alone cannot explain the force of this nefarious reality. If our spiritual narratives do not confront evil, they are both impotent and potentially dangerous. In the Christmas story of the three Magi, we see evil on full display. Having become momentarily lost in their journey to the Christ Child, they make a fatal mistake; they seek help from King Herod, the ruler put in place by the Roman authorities. Fearing that the Christ Child might be a threat to his power, Herod ordered the execution of all male children two years old and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem. As the light grows stronger, so do the forces of darkness.
What are we meant to learn from this story? Remember, the magi were being guided by a star located in the heavens, by a transcendental wisdom, yet in a moment of panic they sought spiritual guidance from a secular source, and the consequences were disastrous. On a good day the media can give us relevant facts but not the wisdom to help us navigate our lives. The lesson is simple: secular sources can tell us how things work, but they cannot open us to life’s deeper meaning, create real unity among people, or reveal ultimate truths. The more we turn to political messiahs and secular gurus for such guidance, the more suffering we create. To fulfill the deepest longings of our hearts we must not look to earthly bodies, but to heavenly bodies.
Divine Mother, Beloved Guru,
Only you can fulfill
My heart’s deepest longing.
