The former bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California reflects on, “Where are the wise men?” in Washington Post’s “On Faith” section:
Where are the wise men?
By Right Reverend William E. Swing in The Washington Post’s On Faith section
Two thousand years ago on the first Christmas, the headlines were about Caesar Augustus’ enrollment for the purpose of taxation. Today at Christmastime, our headlines are about tax breaks.
Two thousand years ago “O Little Town of Bethlehem” was a city of an occupied territory. Today Bethlehem is still a city of an occupied territory.
Two thousand years ago King Herod was searching for classified information concerning a possible rival. Today Wiki Leaks has taken the guesswork out of snooping.
Two thousand years ago the Holy Family had a dream, scooped up their child and immigrated to Egypt. Today we have a “Dream Act” pending to assist immigrant young people.
The human heart hasn’t changed much over time, and the core issues we face are still the same. But something critical has changed. As I see it, the difference is in the magnitude of harm that humans are capable of inflicting – on themselves, on each other, and on their environment.