Dear Friends:

Matthew is the only evangelist who tells the story of wise men from the East who follow a star in their search for the newborn King of the Jews.

These ’wise men’ might be practicing of Eastern mystical traditions, Babylonian astrologers, Arabian magicians, or rich adventure -seekers. They come from another world and are seeking something out of the ordinary. We can easily see in these travelers the restless searchers of our own age – people who keep looking for the ultimate experience, the perfect path, the next big thing.

We continue to tell and reflect upon their story as part of our own journey, more than 2,000 years later. The wise men are more than just ‘new-agers’ from an ancient time. They follow the signs and they show us the star. That star, pointing to the Christ child, is still part of our world today. Sometimes our work may be to polish the star and make it shine when it has been obscured by clouds of doubt, scandal or suspicion. Sometimes we have the privilege of pointing it out to restless searchers; and sometime we are the ones out in the dark, cold night, needing to get back up on the camel and follow the star again….until it leads us once more to the Christ-child who brings life and joy for the whole world.