God is not in the palace

One thing struck me about yesterday's Feast of the Epiphany. God is not in the palace. Jesus was not born in a palace.
The wise men from the orient, those men who were attentive to "signs", knew that a great man was born. The wise men saw the sign, a great star, and as they consulted and enquired, they confirmed that, indeed, an infant king was born.
Naturally they went to Herod's palace, the most normal place for a king to be born in. Of course, they did not find what they were looking for in that place.
As the wise men continued their journey, the star they were following reappeared once they left Herod's place, and the star led them to the place where the Christ-child was.
God is beyond our control. His ways and His choices are infinitely surprising. We need to continue to search and to be ready to be surprised, to meet God is the most unusual places. After all, Jesus was not born in a palace.