Epiphany

The Wise Men have arrived, although the term "wise" is suspect, dontcha think? ...considering they had no clue Herod was the bad guy and that the consequence of their actions would be the death of countless babies?

Matthew seems to be the only evangelist who documents this slaughter, though, and many Biblical scholars don't think it really happened. I hope for Herod's sake they're right. Killing innocent babies is not something I'd want on my slate come judgment day. To my knowledge I have never killed anyone, (I used to confess that it was the only commandment I hadn't broken.) But how do I know that? How do I know that some inaction (or rude action) of mine caused a chain of events leading to someone's death? How do I know that money I donated to a worthy cause was diverted to something less worthy? How do I know how any of my actions affect the interrelated web of life on this planet?

I don't. I do the best I can with the information I have to work with. In this, the information age, we can google facts, opinions, and the latest scientific discoveries by typing in a few key words. But googling does not necessarily equate to accurate information. We also live in an age of instant misinformation and that is just as dangerous a the swords in Herod's soldiers' hands.