The coming of Jesus the Son of God, born of Mary is not just a free floating myth although certainly it is a story of mythological meaning. It is rooted in a particular time and place — the reign of Augustus Caesar. The art below celebrates this and remarks on the optimum moment of almost universal peace (at least in the Mediterranean World) that the Roman Empire produced particularly under the leadership of the restrained Octavian or Augustus as he came to be known.

This anchoring in history of the incarnation with it’s universal claims on humanity  produce what is known as the “scandal of particularity” — how could the life/death/resurrection of one man at one point in time have universal effect on all people at all points in all times?  It strains credulity. And yet it is at the core of the Good News of God in Christ.