Epiphanies
Have you had any real epiphanies lately – you know, when you suddenly understand something that’s puzzled you, or when you gain a new insight that allows you to comprehend something differently?
Lucky me! I think I come up with a new epiphany every week when I study the scriptures. With the help of a variety of commentaries I usually manage to make connections with the message in a way I hadn’t thought of before. Of course, what we bring to the task is most important. Epiphanies can easily elude us if we don’t engage with our curiosities. What are you curious about? Bring on the questions!
Christmas is never quite over until we arrive at Epiphany, which is always on January 6. Epiphany comes with the story of the Wise Ones following the light of a star to find the Christ Child. There is a lot of symbolism in this story that reveals the significance and hope of the Christmas story, as well as the challenges to come. There is the light of the star revealing good news in the darkness of a broken world. There are the gifts that reveal different aspects of Jesus’ identity: gold for royalty, frankincense for priestly duties, and myrrh for the death he will suffer. Most importantly, Epiphany
is about the revelation of God incarnate in the world.
So, let’s hang on to the starlight of the Christmas story just a little longer, as we consider what is being revealed to us in this Season of Epiphany. May your curiosity take you down a path of discovery as we begin this new year together.
Peace and joy,
Nancy