January 2, 2012

Matthew 2:1, 2- After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.” (The message bible)

This is how the story of the wise men begins. Can you imagine these foreigners walking around the city (Philadelphia?) stopping people and asking about the birth of the baby who would become king? I’m thinking they got a lot of blank stares and “get lost” responses. What if you or I were approached by someone asking us where to find God or where to look for what God is doing in our time. What would you tell them? There are those who seek after God. Sometimes they do not even realize it is God they are seeking (what kind of baby did the wise men think they would find?) but when they look for meaning in life, or love that is truly committed, or peace for their hearts or this broken world, they, and we, are seeking God. Is there anyone who didn’t observe Christmas in some way during the past few weeks? Could we direct others to the Christ of Christmas? If not, why not? Maybe a good New Year’s resolution would be to become a person who could point the way to God. Maybe we could help each other become that kind of person.

Have a joyous 2012!

Don