Daily Prayer

Where is the newborn king of the Jews?


Lord Jesus,
It is easy to focus on what’s wrong with the world,
and sometimes with my life and job too.
But faith reveals a truth—
all our actions, all our fears and angers,
all our blustering, all our fragile attempts to love,
all our adulation of celebrity,
all our searching for comfort and security—
are just garbled ways of trying to ask
the question deep in our hearts:
Where is the newborn king of the Jews?

Jesus, I may hear myself asking
that question today.
Please, help me to find you!

And if I listen well, I may hear others
asking that question too.
And when I hear it,
help me to remember that
this gospel offers me a choice:
I can be like Herod—interested only
in myself and my good;
or I can be like the star—in my speech and actions
shining my light (which is your light) in a way
that leads people to you.

Lord Jesus, help me to be this kind of star.
And help me to see that this is a gospel of great hope.
It promises that those who truly seek you will find you,
no matter how far we have to go.
Amen.