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WEDDINGS

As we move toward the time of Christmas, we often get questions from new folks at Eliot about our Christmas Pageant. Why do we Unitarian Universalists participate in such a traditional, Biblical pageant? We know that Unitarian Universalists, in general, are quite skeptical about the Biblical tradition. We do not believe that the Bible reflects accurate history. Most of us believe, in fact, as many scholars do, that the New Testament writers weren't even trying to write history. That simply wasn't their point. They were writing theology. Scholars who now are interested in determining what actually happened try to do this by checking the recorded events against other historical sources, cross-referencing all the sources, to find corroboration for any events. Here's what we know for sure: a preacher-teacher known as Jesus existed and had a major impact on his community. There is actually more historical proof for the existence of Jesus than for Aristotle! So we know Jesus existed. Therefore, it's reasonable to assume that he must have been born. That's about all we know for sure.

All of the rest of the story appeals to our heart and imagination. We are here not to take this story literally, but to enter into the metaphor and see the richness. We see that:

• those born with nothing may still be gifts from God
• those turned away can find warmth and love, even be bowed to and sung to
• birth itself is a miracle
• the long, dark night holds mystery
• an exploding star can radiate wonder to all who would see

Most of us have been brought up with this story in some way. If it was not a personal story to your family, than at least you were aware of it in the culture around you. But for most of us, it was a story told in our families, a story cherished and believed. When we hear the story, we remember the excitement of childhood. The carols are beloved, the readings are familiar and meditative. The story has the power to bring back a time when we didn't know whether miracles were literal or spiritual; we only felt their potential in our lives.

And so today, we are again not concerned with whether the miracles in this story are literal or spiritual. We are only concerned with their power to bring wonder into our lives, to feel the possibilities expanding into an unknown future, lit by the brilliance of a wondrous star.

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