Strangely mesmerising… the brilliant scarlet is eye-catching, but I keep looking at the golden “thread” round the centre of the flower. I don’t know enough botany to know what those bright yellow strands are for- something to do with pollination, probably- so my eye treats them as a decoration! The picture become a glorious pattern.
Spotting “golden threads” is always worthwhile: we use the phrase to describe a central truth or value running through the wider narrative. It also describes the golden ore that forms valuable seams through the rock.
Reading through the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, the “golden thread” is the direct revelation from God that marks out the coming of Jesus as the ultimate special gift, the Saviour of the world.
Matthew tracks through the history: generations of faith through struggles. Jewish scholars would understand the repeated pattern of “fourteen generations” as highly symbolic (although we may find it unexciting!).
Mary is introduced as the mother-to-be through the intervention of the Holy Spirit; and Joseph as an honourable man faced with apparent shame. God sends a message via a dream which leads Joseph to accept the miracle of grace.
Chapter 2 introduces the unexpectedly exotic Magi who follow the Star- and eventually arrive in Bethlehem to worship the child. Another God-dream sends the Magi home by a different route which keeps Herod guessing. Then the angel of dreams appears to Joseph with a warning that leads the new family as refugees to Egypt. (Not exactly a Christmas of parties and overindulgence!)
Matthew compresses the narrative- these events took far longer than we might think from the way we squeeze all of Christmas into a few days. But every step of the narrative has this golden thread of revelation running through it.
Luke has a different perspective- the charming couple of Zechariah & Elizabeth experience their own miracles, with the Angel of the Lord stating “your prayer has been heard”. Their part is to usher in the Forerunner, John the Baptist, who will “Prepare the way of the Lord” as previously foretold in the Prophets.
Then Luke gives a more detailed insight into the announcement to Mary- there is a strong tradition that Luke “interviewed” Mary in person, who told Luke her personal memories and experiences.
Elizabeth and Mary joyfully exchange their stories- and both affirm the miraculous work of the Lord. Mary’s fabulous song, then the birth of John… On to Bethlehem for Jesus’ birth with the surprised shepherds summoned by, yes you’ve guessed, ANGELS!
At every point the golden thread reminds us that the arrival of Christ is a supremely supernatural revelation of Eternity rooted into Earth.
“You shall call Him ‘Immanuel’ which means ‘God is with us’.“ Christmas has its roots in Heaven- and Love reaches down to fill the Earth that God created. Please don’t lose sight of the Golden Thread in the complexity of Christmas!
The Reflectionary 