Journalists hold themselves up to be the guardians of modern society and shine the light on the issues that are important to us mere mortals.
This article is one such beam of illumination. Or is it. I head a current affairs report on the same interview and the commentary by the radio journalist seemed to bear no relation to what the Archbishop was actually saying.
The highlight seemed to be the story of the “Three wise men”. As anybody who has actually read the account knows there was never any mention of three people and that number is extremely unlikely. In fact a little research would lead you to the conclusion that the popular “legend” is nothing but made up and that the biblical account is somewhat different. The baby was actually walking around by the time they arrived so the picture of them arriving on the night of the birth to find a baby in a cattle feeding trough is quite wrong. In fact there is a lot we know and more we can guess but most of the popular story is wrong. This is actually the point that the Archbishop was making.
Now onto the virgin birth. What was the actual point he was making. He did not deny the virgin birth – in fact he claimed to believe it. What he was saying was that we expect people to jump through all sorts of idealogical hoops and to confirm to some type of norm before they become acceptable to God. God imposes no such requirements. God is interested in relationship and complete and perfect knowledge is not a pre-requisite for God’s love for us and for us to come into a relationship with him.
Finally the date of Jesus birth. Well hello!!! No one has ever claimed that Jesus was born on the 25th of December – or anything near that date. I think he was making the point that the actual date of Jesus birth is irrelevant. What we are celebrating is the Son of God not some arbitrary date. As we celebrate the incarnation of the Son let us think about our heavenly father and his love and grace – not the irrelevant issues that have nothing to do with Jesus and his life.