A strange, radiant light has been recently reported to be hovering above Bethlehem’s night sky in Judea, prompting the Babylon-based Mysterious Astronomical, and Geophysical Incidents (MAGI) bureau to dispatch a team of astronomers to investigate the incident.
“It may be a planetary conjunction, a comet, or a nova. No one really knows for sure,” according to MAGI’s press statement circulating in newsrooms yesterday. “Weird events are reportedly happening out there; it may be a Divine sign that the political turmoil in Judea is coming to a head.”
Bethlehem, a nondescript locale 6 miles south of the Judean capital city of Jerusalem, is the scene of a spate of bizarre events which has spurred the Royal House of Herod in Jerusalem to impose stringent security measures in the area. A group of shepherds were reportedly rounded up for rumor-mongering. One of them allegedly confessed that an intergalactic visitor named Angel Gabriel urged them to visit a newly-born baby who is reportedly the true heir to the throne of David.
Similar “angel” tales abound in the area and may have links to the appearance of this strange light. Some locals have attributed it to references of a heavenly vision in the Jewish Scriptures. “It’s the Shekinah Glory, the dwelling presence of God on earth! That’s why it is so bright!” exclaimed an innkeeper who refused to be identified for fear of possible arrest.
Authorities have dismissed these reports as a product of “mass hallucination” and “hyperactive imaginations” brought about by “bouts of melancholia” that often afflicted randy shepherds long accustomed to chasing loose women. “How can they claim that it was an angel? Angels are supposed to have wings, eh? Besides, how could a baby mount a revolt?” asked Herod Antipas, son and likely heir of Herod the Great, in an ambush interview two days ago as he was leaving the Temple’s entrance.
Palace insiders disclose, however, that the king’s orders for vigilance in the town of David betray a growing concern over a perceived political threat. Chief priests and teachers of the law were allegedly executed after linking the purported birth of the Messiah-king in Bethlehem to a prophecy.
In a related development, the Judean health ministry is currently validating reports of unsanitary birthing practices in Bethlehem. Rumors of a young girl’s birth to a baby boy in an animal stable have prompted local health authorities to evaluate child-delivery services and facilities. In recent months, the influx of census registrants and taxpayers has put a strain to the fragile infrastructure in Bethlehem, resulting in overcrowded houses and inns.
Bloggers’ note: We have just presented a likely news story that could have headlined a newspaper at the time of Jesus’ birth, if newspapers were already in existence back then. We find little difference in the worldview described in the gospels and the one we see today: any good news, especially of the miraculous kind, is met with sensationalism at best and skepticism at worst. All too often, we simply find it hard to understand, much less believe, that a Very Important Person was born 2,000 years ago in the most humble of circumstances only to die for inconsequential mortals like you and me. Perhaps we are too caught up with sentimental scenes of shepherds and kings hovering over a new-born baby in a manger. Or maybe too engrossed with our gift lists to bother seeing beyond Santa Claus and puto bumbong. Yet the message remains the same despite the passing of time: the Messiah came to this world to die…so that we may live and be reconciled with God. The Christmas crib leads us all the way to the cross at Calvary. On Christmas day, instead of being swept off by the revelries, why not take the journey back to understanding what Jesus’ coming means to humanity? Take the Bible as your navigator and discover what your Savior has done for you. We invite you to join us in the succeeding pages and find out why we rejoice in Jesus Christ.
“It may be a planetary conjunction, a comet, or a nova. No one really knows for sure,” according to MAGI’s press statement circulating in newsrooms yesterday. “Weird events are reportedly happening out there; it may be a Divine sign that the political turmoil in Judea is coming to a head.”
Bethlehem, a nondescript locale 6 miles south of the Judean capital city of Jerusalem, is the scene of a spate of bizarre events which has spurred the Royal House of Herod in Jerusalem to impose stringent security measures in the area. A group of shepherds were reportedly rounded up for rumor-mongering. One of them allegedly confessed that an intergalactic visitor named Angel Gabriel urged them to visit a newly-born baby who is reportedly the true heir to the throne of David.
Similar “angel” tales abound in the area and may have links to the appearance of this strange light. Some locals have attributed it to references of a heavenly vision in the Jewish Scriptures. “It’s the Shekinah Glory, the dwelling presence of God on earth! That’s why it is so bright!” exclaimed an innkeeper who refused to be identified for fear of possible arrest.
Authorities have dismissed these reports as a product of “mass hallucination” and “hyperactive imaginations” brought about by “bouts of melancholia” that often afflicted randy shepherds long accustomed to chasing loose women. “How can they claim that it was an angel? Angels are supposed to have wings, eh? Besides, how could a baby mount a revolt?” asked Herod Antipas, son and likely heir of Herod the Great, in an ambush interview two days ago as he was leaving the Temple’s entrance.
Palace insiders disclose, however, that the king’s orders for vigilance in the town of David betray a growing concern over a perceived political threat. Chief priests and teachers of the law were allegedly executed after linking the purported birth of the Messiah-king in Bethlehem to a prophecy.
In a related development, the Judean health ministry is currently validating reports of unsanitary birthing practices in Bethlehem. Rumors of a young girl’s birth to a baby boy in an animal stable have prompted local health authorities to evaluate child-delivery services and facilities. In recent months, the influx of census registrants and taxpayers has put a strain to the fragile infrastructure in Bethlehem, resulting in overcrowded houses and inns.
Bloggers’ note: We have just presented a likely news story that could have headlined a newspaper at the time of Jesus’ birth, if newspapers were already in existence back then. We find little difference in the worldview described in the gospels and the one we see today: any good news, especially of the miraculous kind, is met with sensationalism at best and skepticism at worst. All too often, we simply find it hard to understand, much less believe, that a Very Important Person was born 2,000 years ago in the most humble of circumstances only to die for inconsequential mortals like you and me. Perhaps we are too caught up with sentimental scenes of shepherds and kings hovering over a new-born baby in a manger. Or maybe too engrossed with our gift lists to bother seeing beyond Santa Claus and puto bumbong. Yet the message remains the same despite the passing of time: the Messiah came to this world to die…so that we may live and be reconciled with God. The Christmas crib leads us all the way to the cross at Calvary. On Christmas day, instead of being swept off by the revelries, why not take the journey back to understanding what Jesus’ coming means to humanity? Take the Bible as your navigator and discover what your Savior has done for you. We invite you to join us in the succeeding pages and find out why we rejoice in Jesus Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment