The Eighth Tribe, 1974 (1. évfolyam, 1-7. szám)
1974-12-01 / 7. szám
Page Four THE EIGHTH TRIBE December, 1974 I walked over the stable and then I beheld the King. His cradle was a manger, an animal feed trough. He was wrapped in soft swaddling clothes made by the mother and only cushion for his tender body was straw. The strong man with the grave face I had seen earlier was leaning on his staff at the head of the manger. The mother, her face now beautifully lit by her radience, lay near the manger, her cheek resting on her hands elapsed over the edge of the rockhewn crib. Around Him gathered all the animals — the sheep, the cow, oxen, the little donkey — and they breathed upon the Christchild to keep him warm. And all about the Babe there shone a tender and wondrous light such as no man had seen on earth before. After the shepherds had knelt in praise and paid the Lord their homage, they left the ewe lamb, a lamb without a spot or blemish, as their offering. The shepherds went throughout the village recounting what they had been told about the Child and who heard were astonished. Sleeping travelers, both rich and poor, were aroused to join the villagers in glorifying and praising God for the Christ-child’s coming. The mother listened to the praises with a quiet and solemn joy, like one who knew it all before. From high above I heard angel voices praising God for the light which had at last returned to the world. And as I was no longer hungry or cold or afraid, I joined the others, rich and poor alike, in this tender light of love. ☆ ☆ After a few more days a caravan arrived from a far away place. One could see that they did not come to Bethlehem for the same reason as the others. I started-up a conversation with one of the members of the caravan, who I noticed was giving orders to the carriers. He told me an other strange, almost unbelieveable story: They had been on the road for months, plodding across the sands of Arabia. It had been a grueling trip for those not accustomed to hardship. The leaders of the caravan were three wizards, or kings, respected throughout Persia for their wisdom and knowledge of astrology, alchemy and philosophy, and were wealthier than most kings. But they left their homes and their wealth far behind. The good food was gone, the wine skins were dry and the animals were stubborn and grew slower every day. The sand sifted into their robes and scratched their skin from every fold of cloth. The sand driven hv the hot wind, slashed at their faces. If it hadn’t been for a 6tar, they would have turned back long ago. Melchior had been the first to sight it. It was wondrous. When he showed Gaspar and Balthasar they were frightened, it overwhelmed them. Gaspar said it was a portent of evil, a sign of doom. Like no other light they had ever seen in the sky, it out shined all the other stars. Maybe a comet, maybe three stars in one, it blazed like a point of purest fire. But Melchior reminded them of what the prophet Balaam had said, “a star shall rise out of Jacob and a scepter shall spring up from Israel.” . When they realized its meaning they were awed. It was a sign of a great event. The beginning of a new age. Melchior said it was the most important moment in the history of the world, that no one would ever be the same again.
