In childhood
I was impressed
by exotic wise men,
dressed in shimmering robes
crossing deserts on camels,
following a star
for hundreds of miles
before reaching their destination –
the new-born King of the Jews.

In adulthood
I am astonished
at wise men
who enter an out-building
in a small town,
find a tiny baby
and bow down before him,
acknowledging him as King.

I pray that,
like the wise men,
I too may have the wisdom
to recognise My God
when he reveals himself to me
in the most unexpected of places
and in seemingly unlikely people.

(c) Claire Murray