Walking with the Magi in the Snow And Rain

By M.T. Mitchell

So many lessons can be learned from the Magi. They said of themselves that “We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage” (Matthew 2:2).

These are men who “saw” and who “came.” They obeyed, they heeded, they knew that encountering God and worshiping him was more important than anything else in their lives. In this, we have a beautiful philosophy of life. These Magi are people who received a sign from heaven and heeded its call. They are docile to God.

This imagery is taken up in a beautiful poem by the great G.K. Chesterton. In the poem, Chesterton writes, “We are the three wise men.” Chesterton uses poetry to help us go outside of ourselves and experience with the Magi some of what their journey was like, and in so doing, he touches our hearts.

In the poem, we see some of Chesterton’s wit and paradox. He states, “We know all things but the truth”. And the truth of the Magi is that they know so much because of their “labyrinthine lore” that they risk losing the simple path due to their complexity.

Here is the poem:

The Wise Men

 

Step softly, under snow or rain,

To find the place where men can pray;

The way is all so very plain

That we may lose the way.

 

Oh, we have learnt to peer and pore

On tortured puzzles from our youth,

We know all the labyrinthine lore,

We are the three wise men of yore,

And we know all things but the truth.

 

Go humbly . . . it has hailed and snowed . . .

With voices low and lanterns lit;

So very simple is the road,

That we may stray from it.

 

The world grows terrible and white,

And blinding white the breaking day;

We walk bewildered in the light,

For something is too large for sight,

And something much too plain to say.

 

The Child that was ere worlds begun

(. . . We need but walk a little way,

We need but see a latch undone . . .)

The Child that played with moon and sun

Is playing with a little hay.

 

The house from which the heavens are fed,

The old strange house that is our own,

Where trick of words are never said,

And Mercy is as plain as bread,

And Honour is as hard as stone.

 

Go humbly, humble are the skies,

And low and large and fierce the Star;

So very near the Manger lies

That we may travel far.

 

Hark! Laughter like a lion wakes

To roar to the resounding plain.

And the whole heaven shouts and shakes,

For God Himself is born again,

And we are little children walking

Through the snow and rain.

 

G.K. Chesterton probably had the experience of feeling at times like he knew too much, and that his study and writings were possibly keeping him from having a simple faith. His poetry here reflects this awareness. We should all be aware of this danger in our own lives, especially during the busy holiday season.

But fret not. The simple road to Christ can always be found again. The Babe in the manger does not shut the door, does not disappear, and does not cease to welcome us to his side.

The road can be found again by restarting. As we start this new year, know that to knock on the door of the stable in Bethlehem will happen through prayer. This is why finding quiet times of prayer are so helpful. It allows time for the bright light of the Christ Child to enter our souls and help us to see things from his point of view, and to look at our lives as he does.

Together with the Magi, let us step “softly under snow and rain”, let us go humbly under the humble skies of this new year, in search of that Babe playing in the hay.