At the heart of the best God-seekers and God-followers is, of course, atheism.
Theism as the study and certainty of God by nature is restrictive, presuming enough knowledge to define God with some clarity. Most atheists reject that clarity. If atheism is the antithesis of clearly defining God, then Jesus was a wonderful atheist, because he constantly challenged the clearly communicated beliefs of the contemporary theologians of his day. The Magi, by their own example, were tremendous atheists, as they were free to stretch beyond their own tradition to explore Truth wherever it could be found. They knew so much that they understood that they knew very little.
Reasonable People. Pascal once wrote: “Finally, let them recognize that there are two kinds of people one can call reasonable; those who serve God with all their heart because they know Him, and those who seek Him with all their heart because they do not know Him.” Rollins points out, however, “that these two kinds of people are only reasonable when they are brought together as one – they serve God with all their heart because they know him, all the while seeking him with all their heart because they do not” (How Not To Speak of God, 56). The Magi were reasonable people, because they devoted their life to God’s service, as well as the pursuit of the God they proclaimed at the same time.
Guilty of Christianity? There is a story of a man who had a dream that he was being brought before a court. He was being charged with being a Christian. The prosecution had an excellent case. Dozens of photographs of his regular church attendance. Recordings of him speaking up during Bible study with fellow church goers. Surveillance video clearly showing that he also attended some Christian concerts and gatherings at the local arena. The man’s iPod is brought forward as evidence, filled with all sorts of Christian music and videos. His phone even had a Christian song as a ringtone. Journals were brought in that held poetry, and words of processing thoughts of faith and life. As the final piece of evidence, the prosecution laid the man’s Bible before the judge. It was well worn. There were innumerable verses highlighted. There were words underlined. Notes could be found in the margins.
There were moments when the man considered denying his faith to save his neck. But he remained focused. The judge asked if he had any words to add before he went into deliberation. He was too afraid to open his mouth for fear of renouncing his faith.
After an hour the judge came back into his court, looked into the man’s eyes and made his pronouncement: “Not Guilty.”
At that, the man on trial went from fear and terror to confusion and rage. What about my church attendance, my public speaking, my Bible?”
“Your journal only gives evidence that you have a way with words. Your church attendance and public speaking only indicate that you are a public speaker. The court has no interest in worship attendance or Bible reading; nor is it concerned with church-goers who only speak of a beautiful world to come. We exist for those who continue to develop their theology of love, who would lay down their lives in a Christ-like endeavor to create the beautiful world they long for.”
The Magi were more than scholars. They pursued God with everything they had, and it took them right to the Jesus. When they arrived where Jesus lived, they immediately gave him gifts of great monetary and symbolic value. Priceless gifts easily given.
The Princess. There once lived a Princess who lived in a town that was once wealthy but became quite impoverished. She had a dream one night of meeting a young man, a beggar, who made her rich. She awoke from the dream and never forgot it. One day, years later, as she walked through the local streets, she came across the young man she met in her dreams. She immediately told him of her vision, upon which he gave her a sack without saying a word. She took it to her castle and, sure enough, it was filled with priceless gems! After a sleepless night, she awoke the next day and journeyed to a cliff on the edge of the sea. After a few deep breaths, she threw the bag of gems into the sea. She then went back to her village, found the young beggar, and said, “Young man, speak of the wealth you possess which allows you to give away such worldly treasure without a moment’s thought.” (Rollins, 51)
The Magi traveled at great personal expense, even risking their lives, in order to be in the presence of Christ. Their wealth extended far beyond their earthly treasures. They engaged the world from a different sort of orthodoxy than most, but theirs yielded life for themselves and others, including Jesus’ family, who likely used the gift to finance their trip to Egypt and back.
The Printing Press. There was a woman who had a vision to raise money to purchase a printing press with which she could translate and distribute the Word of God to many people. She sold all she had to provide her seed money, and chose to live on the streets, asking people for help. Some were generous, but most gave only a little, if anything at all.
After her savings began to accumulate, a flood ravaged a nearby village, devastating the homes of many. She immediately used her printing press savings to help rebuild the lives of those left without shelter or food. Then she started over toward her original goal.
Years passed, and she was getting closer to the amount she needed, when a plague hit her city like a wave. Thousands died, and many more were sick. Without hesitation, she used her savings to pay for medicine and treatment for the sick. After the need passed, she began saving all over again.
Finally, not long before her life ended, she saved enough to purchase the press. After her death, it was noted that she spent her life making three translations of the Word, the first two being the most splendid of all.
Who knows the details of what the Magi believed? Who cares if they held the right beliefs? What we do know is that they believed in the right way, which literally blessed God and has inspired countless millions to consider the same.
May you find yourself believing in the right way.
Think…
1. How’s your atheism coming along?
2. Are you a reasonable person according to Rollins?
3. Are you guilty of Christianity? Why or why not?
4. Was the princess crazy?
5. Did the printing press lady really realize her dream?
6. How does the Magi’s part of the story impact you?
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