Professional sky watchers arrive in the capital – bag and baggage. They have seen (and interpreted) signs in the natural world all their working lives. They know their business, and their confidence is high. This is big.

A star guides their journey, but it can’t answer all their questions. The logical destination is the capital – the seat of power – the religiously significant city of Jerusalem.

These travellers came asking questions – upsetting questions. “Where is he that is born king of the Jews?” They have some sense of prophecy and history, but no sense of self-preservation. Their questions set the whole town talking, and for better or worse, the one who calls himself king summons them for an audience. The city waits nervously for the outcome of this meeting. It would be like watching someone blockading the nation’s capital demanding a change of government. Nervous times.

It is a pivotal moment, that provokes Herod to the height of political intrigue. (‘go and find the child and bring me word…’) We require no great feat of imagination to hear the sinister tone in that request. The Magi may have shivered inwardly, but off they went with fresh information and a new destination. If the child-who-would-be-king was in Bethlehem, then to Bethlehem they would go.

There was nothing sinister about these visitors. They were moved to journey by a desire to see something fantastic; a once in a lifetime event. Their wisdom suggested change was coming – historic, prophetic, reality bending change. Though they were strangers, they knew (and spoke) the language of local hope. They understood just enough about Jewish history and religion to ask the right question in the right place – the scribes and priests filled in the missing information – and now the talk in the capital is of the rest of the story. The promised king is one who brings healing and the redemption of Israel. This is revolutionary stuff.

We name them kings in song and story – but they were not kings. They were wise and clever and open-minded. They brough gifts fit for a king, and because they were open minded, they heeded a nighttime vision as a sign from God that they should avoid further contact with Herod.

The visitation of the magi provokes all manner of discussion. People track astronomical data to pinpoint the time and place of the Birth of Jesus. People speculate on the nationality (and real intention) of these visitors. But what this story provokes in me – at the turn of the year in this messed up world – is hope.

Hope that those who can still see evidence of good at work in the universe have the strength (or the naivete) to walk into the halls of the powerful and say, ‘where’s the new king?’ Hope that the misery-traders will not get the final word on the shape of the future. Hope that the spirit of God can find an audience and move that audience to radical action.

To gift a child with the symbols of royal leadership- that is an act of subversion. These visitors are a slap in the face to the established authority. They acknowledge the right of a higher power to set the standards and drive the narrative. Whatever their background, whatever their intentions, the Magi have opened the door to something other than the status quo.

Herod knew it and trembled. His reign of terror was not over – far from it. But his days were numbered and the spark of hope brought by these visitors will be fanned into flame over time.

The world looks particularly dark these days. The government of the United States is shaping democracy to suit their current president’s mania. The administration is playing outside the boundaries of international law and decency – boundaries that they helped define and protect for many years. As their near neighbours, we are right to be concerned – as there is an element of our own political system that would follow a similar path. The voices of the disaffected and disgruntled are quick to seek control and stifle the seeds of humility and humanity – all in the name of safety or freedom.

But those are the voices of fear – the voice of Herod. The would hide from change and openly resist anything that might promote shared responsibility, mutual respect or the pursuit of the common good.

In the face of such dangerous nonsense that is – even now – unfolding thanks to the administration south of our border, we have to decide what our response will be. We cannot ignore it, nor can we pretend that this is somehow ‘divinely inspired’ (as too many in evangelical Christian circle claim) There is no faithfulness in the actions of the rogue nation calling itself the United States of America. The faithfulness is asking the question that drew the Magi to the seat of regional power: Their question, paraphrased for our time, would be ‘who is in charge here?’

Are we content to let the selfish whims of a megalomaniac decide our collective future? Or can we point to signs and wonders – are we able/willing to ‘see and follow the light’ of Christ’s message?

The Magi professed belief in an ancient, covenantal hope. They posed questions of legitimacy at the foot of the throne of tyranny – and lived to tell the tale. They found and worshipped a boy whom others dismissed as ordinary.

These visitors were full of surprises, and God will surprise us yet. For as long as there are those willing to stand in simple opposition – those who, without violence, can follow the spirit of grace, and act with integrity under threat of destruction – as long as someone is willing to seek leadership that looks like what Jeremiah described – and what Jesus represented, then there is real hope.

May we be the faithful, the wise, the hopeful few that would follow Christ’s light into the days and weeks to come.

Lord, have mercy – God, grant us wisdom – Jesus, teach us peace. Amen