The gifts of the wise men Re-imagined...

Benedictine nun and author Joan Chittister, when speaking to Krista Tippett, wanted to know why these three gifts were brought to Jesus on Epiphany: Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. If these are just illusions to Jesus' death then why not other gifts used in the gospel such as palm branches, pomegranate and grapes? In her study she discovered that gold not only carries with it kingship but also generosity. And Frankincense was not used as a burial spice but as a spice as it is used today in essential oils for serenity and creating calm. Myrrh was used by several cultures as a element of healing the body. The gifts the wise men bring are more than just (if at all) illusions to the kingship and death and burial of Jesus. These gifts are symbols of the generosity of God (gold), the serenity of Christ (frankincense) and the healing that comes with Christ (myrrh). I had never heard of this before but it gives me a fuller understanding and new eyes to these gifts often overlooked in my understanding of the story of the incarnation.