“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
Matthew 2:2 (NIV)
The “If You See Something, Say Something” program is a nationwide campaign that aims to raise awareness of signs of potential nexus to terrorism or to help report suspicious activity to authorities. Homeland Security established it for the public to help law enforcement agencies avoid tragedies like the horrible public shootings we frequently experience in this country.
Even though I am sure this program has helped avoid many tragedies, it has not avoided them all. Every time a shooting happens, I cannot help but think, what would happen if Christians reacted to the pain we see around us as the wise men of the Bible reacted to the star they saw in the East?
The Bible tells us that they saw the star and reacted immediately. They did not ignore it. They went to worship the King they knew had been born. Once they got to the region where they saw the star, they said something. They asked, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”
People of God, most mass shooters, do not grab a gun one day and start shooting. Most of them have been in pain or fighting mental illness for years. I wonder if anyone intentionally ever tried to ease the pain of one of those shooters. What would happen, for example, if we restore hearts that hurtful words have broken by replacing those words with loving ones? What would happen if we do our best to rebuild people crushed by life?
We cannot remedy every injustice or abusive act around us. Nevertheless, can we do more than what we are doing to alleviate people’s loneliness, pain, or frustration? My friends, we will not see a star over people in need, but if we pay attention, pain is always noticeable. Anger, frustration, isolation, tears, or physical pain are all signs of brokenness.
If we allow the Holy Spirit to use us to heal broken hearts, He will guide us to people that need God’s love just as He guided the wise men of the Bible to Christ. Please keep your eyes open while you shop, cook, or decorate this Christmas season. Do not ignore the pain around you. If you see pain, say or do something to alleviate it. Let us share the love of Christ this Christmas.
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