The Moravians Who Would Not Wait

In October 1731, a young Moravian named Johann Leonard Dober attended a gathering in Herrnhut, Germany, where he heard Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf describe the enslaved people of the Caribbean island of St. Thomas — men and women who had never once heard the name of Jesus. That night, Dober could not sleep. By morning, he had made his decision.

Within months, Dober and his companion David Nitschmann stood on a dock in Copenhagen, carrying almost nothing, prepared to sail across the Atlantic. Some accounts say they were willing to sell themselves into slavery if that was the only way to reach people with the gospel. Their families wept. Their friends questioned their sanity. But Dober had heard the news, and like a man who has seen a fire, he could not simply stand still.

The shepherds outside Bethlehem understood this impulse perfectly. When the angels departed, they did not form a committee or request further details. Scripture says they went "with haste" to find the child whose name — Jesus, "The Lord Saves" — had been announced from heaven before He ever drew breath. They saw. They believed. They told everyone they met.

Mary treasured these things quietly in her heart. But the shepherds could not contain what they had witnessed. Some truths are too urgent for hesitation. When the Almighty reveals where salvation lies, the only faithful response is to go — and go quickly.