The three Wise Men left the baby Jesus’ manger with joy in their hearts. The rest of their story, however, is lost in the jumble of history. What we know is that the Holy Family’s “manger” moment was quickly replaced by sheer terror. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Retreat! Get out of Dodge! A deluge of evil is about to come upon you!”

Joseph was not born stupid. He gathered up Mary and their newborn baby and, in the dead of night, beat a hasty retreat to Egypt.

Is it not bizarre that Jesus began his life in full retreat? If Jesus truly was the Messiah, a processional, rather than a retreat, should have commenced. Everybody should have joined in crowning him “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” Regardless of the absurdity of a Messiah in retreat, now we know that the baby Jesus’ retreat eventually became an advance; an advance not meant to give Jesus political and military control of the world, but rather an advance that ignited a powerful movement of the spirit intended to connect humanity heart-to-heart with God.

Every year at St. Paul’s Church in Newport, several military officers attending the Navy War College and their families affiliated with our church. I never met more gifted people than those men and women. One Sunday, I struck up a conversation with a Navy Commander. He recently returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. I said, “You must feel very proud that the Taliban is in full retreat.”

He replied, “Pastor John, do you know that to retreat is an offensive maneuver?”

His answer baffled me, but in hindsight his words appear prophetic. The Taliban retreated, but, sadly and tragically, only long enough to reorganize and resume the fighting using a different strategy.

When we encounter difficulties in life, we often feel compelled to barge ahead. Sometimes, however, it is better to retreat, re-think our strategy and then advance using a different tactic. I often counsel people in trouble and turmoil to retreat and hand off, at least temporarily, their problems to God. Why not rest, regain strength and give consideration to using a different strategy? After all, as Red Adair once said, “When you are up to your rear end in alligators, you forget that you came to drain the swamp!”

As life goes on and on, consider using retreat as an offensive maneuver. Some folks reading this post are “up to their rear end in alligators.” Retreat! Deposit your troubles in God’s hands, relax and regain your strength. Then, ask the Divine One to help you develop a new strategy before moving forward.

For those of you who are successfully advancing right now, bring to mind someone you love that may need to retreat. Pray that God will give your loved one the strength to “let go and let God.”

REMEMBER, if it was OK for Jesus to retreat, it must be OK for us to do it too!

John E. Holt. Cotuit, Massachusetts