Jamal and the Crown Predators

The wise men hold a magical place in the nativity story. They were not members of the religion into which Jesus was born, yet they travelled far to pay him homage. Call them gentiles, infidels, pagans, or simply the others. Their knowledge conveyed a deep understanding of his humble-yet-cosmic birth. Believers have long celebrated the Magi as part of the twelve days of Christmas, which begin on December 25th and conclude on the eve of their arrival (Epiphany, January 6th).

I’ve always assumed these visitors were wealthy because they carried great treasures, yet they weren’t just long-haul transporters of luxury goods. By honoring an ordinary couple and their stable-born baby, the wise men proved they were committed to pursuing the truth even if it inverted socio-economic norms. That social reversal was part of other ancient holidays. Masters catered to servants during the Roman Saturnalia, also celebrated around the winter solstice. Citizens decorated homes with wreaths and greenery. Hearts presumably swelled with dreams of peace and goodwill. Maybe a few mythical misers were transformed.

Some scholars suggest the Magi were Zoroastrians, one of the world’s oldest monotheistic faiths. Originating in Persia, there aren’t many people of this persuasion around today. The highest estimate I’ve seen is 190,000, yet several have visited my bookshop. Nice folks. They believe humans bear responsibility for the way we act toward one another and the planet. “Good thoughts, good words, good deeds” say the Zorastrians. The movie Bohemian Rhapsody identified this as the native religion of Freddie Mercury, peace be upon him.

People often imagine the wise men as three kings, journeying on camels after sunset and orienting toward a certain star. But the number of magi was not specified in the original report, nor were they referred to as royalty.

As much as we yearn to equate wise men with kings, history often proves otherwise. The Roman client ruler who was king when Mary gave birth had an utterly different response to news that a new child would grow to raise the bar for leadership. King Herod ordered his henchmen to kill all male children under the age of two in the vicinity of Bethlehem.

Of course that’s just one account of events, conveyed by a reporter named Matthew. Maybe his royal highness ordered the hit, maybe he didn’t. Can we ever know for sure? He was after all called “Herod the Great” because of his knack for consolidating power and erecting colossal buildings. Should Christians dispense with darker parts of the story and simply enjoy the eggnog?

The view from atop the social pyramid is easily obscured by ego. For certain individuals, summiting those heights boosts obsession with dominion. What’s more, such personalities often acquire a reverential following from the very people they step on. This phenomenon was well-documented by Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisel in his treatise on hard-shell reptilian behavior.

“He ordered nine turtles to swim to his stone
And, using these turtles, he built a new throne.
He made each turtle stand on another one’s back
And he piled them all up in a nine-turtle stack.”*
__

So it was with kings in the past. So it is with rulers today, royals like Mohammad bin Salman, crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Salman was implicated in the gruesome murder of American-based journalist Jamal Khoshoggi, an ardent advocate for democratic reforms throughout the Middle East. With over two million followers on social media, Khoshoggi bridged the West with the Arabic-speaking world. He urged the spread of liberties that many of us take for granted. His final column in the Washington Post was a renewed call for freedom of speech, in light of how little progress has been made since the Arab Spring.

Without a direct order from the Saudi sovereign, it would have been next to impossible for a 15-person death squad to intercept this freedom-writer at a Saudi consulate, then reduce him to disposable chunks of meat. Yet calls for consequences have been repeatedly deflected by Salman’s ruling counterpart in the United States.

“Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a vicious place,” Donald Trump told reporters regarding the murder. “It’s a terrible thing. I dislike it more than you do. But the fact is…they [members of the royal House of Saud] create tremendous wealth, really tremendous jobs in their purchases and very importantly, they keep the oil price down.”

These words are possessed by a calculus that’s as old as Mammon himself. Trump blames the general public for violent crime, thereby diverting responsibility from criminal elites. The deflection protects murderers of high economic status, especially those who generate riches from fossil fuels. It also helps if they do plenty of holiday shopping with domestic arms dealers. We live in a vicious time, indeed, when such fallen logic is broadcast by someone who purports to lead the free world.

The U.S. Senate sort of countered Trump, unanimously passing a resolution holding Muhammad bin Salman accountable for murder. A 56/41 majority of senators also voted to end support for the war Salman is leading in Yemen, which has contributed to the worst humanitarian crisis on earth. But many legislators who voted to condemn Salman also voted to support his military aims. Without more congressional oomph, especially from Republicans, this legislation could not survive a Trump veto. Moreover, it became buried under an avalanche of draconian executive decisions that test the capacity of congress to provide oversight.

Royals like Mohammad bin Salman lay claim to national identity, so much so that they think any criticism of their authority is a threat to national security. He’s one of many prominent strongmen who abhor inquisitive reporters and free speech as a whole. Vladimir Putin steers in this direction, as does Trump (albeit with more constitutional hoops to jump through). These men favor illiberal states they can control on behalf of business associates. Open democracies are anathema to their political order.

By contrast, wise men (and women) require unfettered access to knowledge. People need to freely discuss information, ideas, and behaviors that influence our ability to care for creation. Life is not about feeding regal egos. For believers, it’s about learning how to be part of a different kind of kingdom — one that transcends borders and upholds human rights. It’s about soul-searching, investigative journalism, and scientific inquiry, even if findings do not support the investments of big money. It bears noting that Salman, Putin, and Trump are a triumvirate of leaders who refuse to endorse warnings on climate change that call for stronger reductions in carbon emissions. These three kings are anti-Magi, depleting treasures to expand their might.

Often they do this while wrapping themselves in religious packaging. This does not hide their disregard for the consistent moral teachings of Jesus, who is also revered by Muslims. Instead they follow the advice of Niccolo Machiavelli in The Prince, lauding sovereigns who are adept at being bad while pretending to be good.

“Alexander VI did nothing else but deceive men, nor ever thought of doing otherwise, and he always found victims; for there never was a man who had greater power in asserting, or who with greater oaths would affirm a thing, yet would observe it less; nevertheless his deceits always succeeded according to his wishes, because he well understood this side of mankind.”

“Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is very necessary to appear to have them. And I shall dare say this also, that to have them and always to observe them is injurious, and that to appear to have them is useful, to appear merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright, and to be so, but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able and know how to change to the opposite.”
__

If Magi cussed, they might use some choice words to describe leaders who live by Machiavelli’s standards. King Herod the Great fell into this category, as does Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.

Yet wisdom doesn’t waste time trying to shame those who know no shame. Hold them accountable, yes, but focus for the long-haul on good thoughts, good words, good deeds. For many that includes celebrating nostalgic customs surrounding the twelve days of Christmas and other holidays linked with Jesus.

Every day is holy, for those who believe. Who reigns over all that vast sacredness on earth? Surely the Magi heard a different answer during their trek to Bethlehem. If they were to make a similar trip today, they would be stopped and vigorously questioned by authorities at check-points and borders.

Both Muslims and Christians believe Jesus the wise compassionate Jew will return as God’s mediator to overcome despots and usher in world peace. Maybe that will happen when enough Muslims and Christians and Jews and others follow the call of conscience rather than the dictates of nationalist strongmen.

Crown predators lie and kill to prevent progress in that direction. Yet believers persist as one body, one spirit, bearing the gift of God’s love. Together we’ll come to the truth.

* Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1958)