The feeding of the five thousand is a story told in all four gospels. Instead of manna from heaven, Jesus himself looks up to heaven, then blesses and breaks the loaves. Then he divides two fish. All ate and were satisfied. A great deal of bread and fish was left uneaten.

The first words spoken in this gospel are words from the Magi’s lips. In the first century of the Christian Era, a Magus could be an astronomer who studied and recorded the movement of stars and planets. It could refer to astrologers, who claimed to be able to understand the meaning of motion in the heavens for the lives of human beings. It could also mean “wonder-workers”—magicians.

The first words spoken in this gospel are words from the Magi’s lips. In the first century of the Christian Era, a Magus could be an astronomer who studied and recorded the movement of stars and planets. It could refer to astrologers, who claimed to be able to understand the meaning of motion in the heavens for the lives of human beings. It could also mean “wonder-workers”—magicians.

A couple of years ago, I had my DNA tested on 23 and Me and found out that 94.8% of my ancestry is British and Irish. One of my first thoughts when I read that report, was, “Well, my ancestors were a pretty unadventurous lot. There they were, living on a couple of islands on the western edge of the European continent, and there they stayed, until some unexpected impulse, ambition, crime, or disaster sent them off to this New World.”