This week in assemblies our theme is travelling, we are focusing on the journey of the Wise men or Magi as they might have been called. These men gave up the comforts of their homes to travel a great distance, following a star, to find the Christ child. They travelled in faith, there was no certainty about what they might find, although they believed personally that there was enough evidence to convince them to travel and follow the star.
The recent production of 'The Nativity' portrays these key characters in the Christmas story in a refreshing way, it's well worth a watch if it appears on our TV screens again this Christmas. The discussion and analysis of what they hope will come to pass is quite fascinating and shows the human aspect that any journey of faith involves. Faith, as the book of Hebrews tells us , is 'being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see'. The Wise men put their faith in the Christ child, but their discovery required a journey, one that was not always easy, one that certainly faced difficulties and opposition, one that they did not make alone, but a journey that was certainly made in faith. We do not have a star in the sky to lead us, but our journey of discovery requires the same faith, but also an awareness of the fact that we travel together, and it is this traveling together that certainly makes a difference.
