In the late spring of 1978, I ventured on a journey of discovery and self-exploration by hitchhiking across the United States for close to a year.  I had a backpack, small camping stove, a sleeping bag and a tent.  I arranged for my mother to wire me funds from my bank account as needed to general delivery post office boxes around the country.  I had no car, no outstanding debt and no significant romantic relationship to tie me down.  But what I possessed that was most valuable was a sense of personal destiny, a strong sense of curiosity, and a longing for meeting God firsthand out there somewhere in the vast and wide open spaces of America and its people.  I had previous pratice hitchhiking around the state in which I lived but had never ventured out "beyond my own tribe" into the Great Unknown.  It was hard on my parents (and me as well) in that they had no idea if I'd survive, if they'd ever see me again.  We all had to trust this would happen.  As for my part, this was a journey I needed at this point in my life to take in the fashion I was taking it: I had an insatiable desire to "find myself with God" somewhere and I knew deep down that "somewhere" was out there in the wilderness where God always awaits us-out of the safety,
security, complacency and knownness of our comfort zone.

It was no different two thousand years ago for those first people seeking God in the newborn Jewish Messiah: the Magi from Persia had to cross into and over the wilderness, hundreds of miles worth of blank and bleak and waterless desert where robbers, assassins and predators roamed, where people rarely ventured and from which they rarely returned alive.  But it was a journey of self-exploration and discovery they had to make.  For it was on the other side of the wilderness they knew they'd find what they were looking for as well as knowing what they were looking for would ultimately protect them along the way.

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
   and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
   and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
   and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
   and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
   they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
   and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
   your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
   the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
   the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
   all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
   and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

 

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’  When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.  They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:  “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared.  Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’  When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.  On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.