You know that moment when you’re driving somewhere new and your GPS suddenly interrupts: “Recalculating…”

Maybe you missed the turn. Maybe construction closed the road. That little spike of panic mixed with frustration hits—I was supposed to be there by now.

Here’s what I love about the Epiphany story in Matthew 2: it’s basically the Bible’s way of saying “Recalculating…” The wise men miss the turn. They ask directions at the worst possible place—Herod’s palace. And yet God still gets them there. Even better? God updates their route home. This reflects the deeper epiphany story meaning that resonates in our lives.

We’re stepping into 2026 with fresh calendars and hopeful resolutions, hoping this year goes according to plan. But what if the good news isn’t that we’ll finally get it right?

What if the good news is that God specializes in recalculating? What if faith is less about staying on course and more about trusting the voice that says, “I’ve got you—let’s try another way”?

When Wisdom Makes Dangerous Mistakes

Let me set the scene. These scholars—astronomers, intellectuals, spiritual seekers from the East—see a star and begin traveling together toward something they can barely name.

They’re doing some things right. They look up, actually paying attention to the light. They travel together, not alone. And they’re searching for a newborn king.

So far, so good.

But then they make what scholar Warren Carter calls “an extraordinarily naïve” decision. They walk straight into Herod’s palace and ask: “Where is the child born king of the Jews?”

In the Roman Empire, this wasn’t just an innocent question. Rome alone appointed legitimate kings. An unappointed rival king wasn’t unusual—it was treason. The Bible tells us that Herod was “frightened, and all Jerusalem with him.” That’s the ripple effect of tyranny. When the ruler panics, everyone panics.

Herod deploys what scholars call the “strategies of tyrants”: allies, spies, lies, and violence. He summons the chief priests and scribes. He turns the magi into unwitting spies. He lies about wanting to “worship” the child. And when the magi don’t return, he orders the murder of every male child two years and under in Bethlehem.

This is the world Jesus is born into. Tyrant versus toddler. Empire versus infant. And the magi have just led the wolf straight to the lamb.

It’s a catastrophe. A navigation disaster of biblical proportions.

And yet.

God’s Divine GPS Update

Here’s where God recalculates.

Matthew 2:12 tells us: “And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.”

Another road. Another way. A different route home.

We could read this as just geography—smart travel planning. But the Gospel is telling us something deeper about spiritual direction and moral courage. This isn’t just about roads. It’s about resistance.

“Another way” refuses Herod’s agenda. It stops tyranny in its tracks. It says: “We’re not cooperating with empire anymore.”

The magi started out foolish, dangerously naïve. But somewhere between the manger and the journey home, they were changed. They became people who could recognize evil and refuse to serve it.

God didn’t prevent their mistake. But God did intervene. Through a dream, God protected Jesus by recalculating their path. And the magi listened. They didn’t say, “But we promised Herod.” They said, “Okay. Another way. Let’s go.”

That’s the gift of Epiphany. Not perfection. Not a route without wrong turns. But the courage to change direction when the Spirit says, “Recalculating… route updated.”

The Real Gift We’re Called to Bring

The magi brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh—expensive, impractical gifts for a baby. Like showing up to a baby shower with a 401k contribution instead of diapers.

Frederick Buechner writes: “For all their great wisdom, they overlooked the one gift that the child would have been genuinely pleased to have someday, and that was the gift of themselves and their love.”

We’re good at bringing God our tokens. Our donations. Our attendance. Our “thoughts and prayers.”

But the journey God is inviting us into requires us. Our actual bodies showing up. Our willingness to be changed. Our refusal to cooperate with systems that harm people—even when it costs us something.

The magi didn’t just bring gifts to the manger. By the time they left, they’d brought their disobedience to Herod. That was the real offering.

Three Ways to Travel “Another Way” in 2026

As we step into this new year, what if our job isn’t perfection but responsiveness? Not getting it right the first time but being willing to hear God say, “I’ve got you. Let’s try another way.”

The magi teach us three things about traveling by “another way”:

First: Look up. They paid attention to the star—not to Herod’s propaganda, but to the light. Where is the light calling you in this new year? What voices of fear or empire are competing for your attention?

Second: Travel together. The magi didn’t go alone. Whatever “another way” means for you—resisting injustice, changing a harmful pattern, choosing love over fear—you need companions. Faith is a communal journey, not a solo expedition.

Third: Kneel. The magi had the humility to recognize that this child was more important than they were. We’re not the center of our own lives. Christ is. And honestly? That’s a relief. The pressure’s off.

The Star Still Shines

Friends, the star still shines. The journey continues.

And when that voice says “Recalculating…”—when life doesn’t go according to plan, when you find yourself lost or face-to-face with empire—remember: God specializes in getting us home by another way.

A better way. A way that doesn’t serve empire but kneels before the grace of a child who will grow up to say, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

You’re not navigating 2026 alone. There’s a light. There’s a community traveling with you. And God is still in the business of getting us home by another way.

The light is still leading. Follow it. Together.

Recalculating… route updated.

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If this resonated with you, I’d love for you to share it with someone who needs to hear that it’s okay to take “another way” this year. And if you’re looking for a community that practices this kind of inclusive, progressive faith, consider joining our weekly newsletter where we explore what it means to upgrade our faith for the future without leaving our roots behind.