To believers and non believers alike, the Wise Men are highly mysterious figures. Three men travel from afar in search of a newborn king. In the nativity story, they arrive after the birth of Jesus, having followed a star across the desert. But who were these men? Where did they come from? How were they connected—if in fact they were? And was a star the only reason for their famous journey, or was there more to it? This engrossing biblical adaption goes beyond the nativity story as we experience the search for the Messiah from the perspective of each of the three men, Melchior, Gaspar, Balthazar; of Alima, the woman Balthazar loves; and of Asher, a teenage shepherd. Carefully researched and beautifully written, The Gifts of Man brings the human condition to the forefront and speaks to the common struggles of the day—war, illness, the treatment of women, loss, and love—that are still prevalent in our society today. In learning why each of these characters makes this journey to Bethlehem and how it—and the baby Jesus—affected them, we better understand the nature of man, hope, and—most importantly—our faith in God and in ourselves. The newly revised edition of The Gifts of Man is now available with a Readers Guide of Questions for Discussion.
