It would be safe to say that for many years after the year 1 A.D. Christians made up a miniscule percentage of the world's population. How surprising then to find in today's Gospel representatives of a sizable section of the population of the Middle East looking for a child, a baby in fact, whose coming they hoped would provide an answer to a question they considered crucial. That baby was Christ whose very existence at that time was known only to his mother and father and maybe a few people who worked around the place where he was born.

The "Magi" represent us: the men and women of all ages. With them we are called to meet and learn from that baby born in such seemingly unpromising surroundings. Our representatives went home satisified that their journey had been worth while. We have a journey to make too.

We, men and women of the second decade of the 21st century, do not have a monopoly of world threatening dangers. The general area where the Epiphany event took place, however, does face particularly difficult challenges which are gravely affecting that area and the whole world.

There is a burning need for trust, negotiation and compromise in the face of deep rooted fear and suspicion. Christ came to heal past history and to prepare a better future for us.