One family, at least, could escape
I can't judge the Wise Men, or the Wisdom Seekers, for choosing to walk away and leave the child in danger.
Because we are doing the same.
I'm thinking of all the anguished mothers and fathers who are desperate to take their children to a safe place, but cannot.
Cannot because the occupying forces are trapping them in the place where they are.
Cannot because countries like our own are refusing to accept their obligations to grant safety to those fleeing persecution and war.
The family in this story could escape; and I wonder why in all the intervening centuries we have not learnt to resolve our differences in a better way.
Why we have not learnt how to stop giving evil intentioned men the power and the means to destroy other human beings for their own selfish ends.
I don't understand, and I don't think I ever will.
All I can do is try to let go of the hatred in my heart and try to learn at least to be at peace with myself.
And perhaps the peace that we are able to generate in our own hearts, however limited, has some little power to diminish the sum of hatred in this tormented world…