Becoming Modern-Day Wise Men and Women

As we continue into the Christmas story, the Wise Men offers us a powerful reminder of what it means to seek God with our whole being. These Magi—sign readers, scholars, travelers—found the infant Jesus because they paid attention. They read the signs of their time with spiritual sensitivity, much like the tribe of Issachar, who “understood the times and knew what Israel should do.”

Today, we are invited into that same way of seeing. Faith is not meant to be lived from the mind alone. The Wise Men reached Jesus because they engaged God with heart, soul, mind, and strength. They studied Scripture, observed the world around them, and followed the Spirit’s leading. Their journey was intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and practical all at once.

As the universal church, we are called to rediscover this holistic way of seeking God. It begins by slowing down—by noticing the details, connecting the dots, and discerning how God is moving in our lives, our church, and our world. We want to recognize God’s thumbprint, track Jesus’ footsteps, and feel the Spirit’s breeze in our community.

Just as Christ was incarnated in the flesh, we must allow that same incarnation to take root in us. Jesus is our content; culture is our context. Cistercian Abbot Erik Varden once said, “Christian life fails to convince because it lacks incarnate credibility.” The Wise Men had credibility because their search was real. They were willing to move—literally and spiritually. Scripture guided them, the stars informed them, and the Spirit directed them. We are called to the same journey.

When we love God with all four dimensions of our being, we become spiritually awake. We regain our instincts, our sensitivity to God’s presence, and our ability to discern the signs of the times. The Wise Men looked at the world with soft eyes—eyes of learners, seekers, explorers. Their curiosity led them to Christ, and it can lead us there too.

Our spiritual practices today mirror their long journey: paying attention, seeking God’s presence, and responding with faith. In the end, how real God becomes to us depends on how deeply we seek and how fully we pursue. May we become modern-day Wise Men and Women—attentive, courageous, and alive to the God who is already with us.