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The Wise Men Come to Bethlehem

Ken Gibble

Surprised? Yes.
But not surprised at Herod, that camel brain.
We figured him for the petty tyrant
most kings turn out to be.
Always the same, their outward show
 – haughty, grand, fully in command –
but underneath they tremble, shake at shadows,
see enemies behind each post and pillar.
“I would worship the new king,” Herod tells us.
Hah!
No, what stunned us was this . . .
that our search should lead us here,
to wretched, barren Bethlehem.
What kind of king could be birthed
in this backwater burg?
There must be some mistake.
One last try? Oh very well.
Let’s ask around. “Hey, you there.
We’re looking for a child. Tell us,
is there a new-born in this God-forsaken town?”


Ken Gibble is a freelance writer from Greencastle, Pa.

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Last modified December 16, 2002.

© 2002 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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