500 years, 500 miles

Each Epiphany we read, “Wise men from the east came to Jerusalem” (Matthew 2:1). Somehow these men knew the Scriptures. How? Five hundred years earlier, Daniel and othersmart, strong, and handsome teenagers were sent 500 miles east and trained to serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It was a new start for them. They kept the faith. Daniel refused to bow to the king, publicly witnessed to his faith, and experienced a night in the lions’ den. Bible scholars inform us that Daniel’s faith in Yahweh spread throughout the “east.”These wise scholars traveled 500 miles to inquire, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2). We may experience a new start when displaced from our own home, or we may worry about a new start in the future. Here’s a lesson from Daniel: We are to share our faith wherever we are.