There is a humanity that lives within us and among us that is always responsive to the showing forth of God whenever and wherever it happens. It is in the response of our humanity to the showing forth of God that fullness of life emerges.

But there is also an inhumanity that lives among us -- and sometimes within us -- that pays no attention to God and that works to stifle real humanity wherever it lives. It also stifles life.

We live our lives, and the world lives out its history, in the conflict between humanity and inhumanity. You know that, don't you? That conflict is dramatized in an awesome and awful way in the scripture lessons that we have today.

The coming of the wise men represented humanity responding to the showing forth of God. Can you visualize the commotion the Magi must …