Like the wise men who traveled “from eastern lands” to find the Christ child (Matthew 2:1), the Walanga people of the Democratic Republic of Congo make a journey to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Pastor Kizombo Kalumbula recalls families traveling on foot, often more than twenty-five miles through the forest, bringing rice, cassava, peanuts, chickens, and goats for a Christmas day feast—gifts to share with everyone. On Christmas Eve, travelers gather at a church for a celebration till midnight. They meet again the next morning to worship. Women dress in brightly colored yolas as everyone listens to the Christmas story, enjoys a drama, and sings joyously. Jesus’ birth is motivation for the journey. In Matthew’s account, we don’t quite know how the wise men knew to anticipate Messiah’s arrival. Regardless, these travelers came on a quest. When King Herod learned that the wise men were looking for “the newborn king” he “was deeply disturbed” (vv. 2-3) and inquired of the “leading priests and teachers of religious law” (v. 4). They knew Messiah would be born “in Bethlehem in Judea” (v. 5) and quoted the prophet Micah (v. 6). Yet they never looked for Him. The wise men did, bringing gifts to the one who is the Gift (v. 11). Wherever our travels take us, let’s imitate the ancient wise men and those Walanga villagers by sharing what we have with others. May our actions honor the One who gave His life for us.
