“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him’” (Matthew 2:1-2). It’s one of the iconic images of Christmas, instantly recognizable to Christians and unbelievers alike: three Magi — or “wise men,” as many Bible translations render the Greek word magos — traveling across the desert, following a bright star in the east. The other image of the Magi we immediately […]

“I’m aging.” This was my reaction upon watching a movie depicting a death scene, prompting the scary thought of my eventual demise. Likewise, it offered a glimpse as to how far I had traveled, how maturity had reached me and how my childish ways were now in the rear-view mirror. Very deep stuff, given these conclusions were reached by an 8-year-old boy! And as my grandpa held my hand while exiting the theater and I gazed at his grizzled tired face, it dawned on me that someday I would be him. The prediction made so many decades ago came to […]