Epiphany
Theme for the day - Epiphany
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary[1] defines EPIPHANY among other things as -
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A (1): a usually sudden manifestation or perception of
the essential nature or meaning of
something (2): an intuitive
grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking (3) : an illuminating
discovery, realization, or disclosure
B: a revealing scene or moment.
So what intuitive grasp of reality are we being
asked to grasp in today’s story of the Magi coming to Jesus?
In 614, as part of their on-going
conflict with the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire, the Persians invaded
Palestine. The story is told that when they arrived in Bethlehem, they saw magnificent
mosaics on the entrance to the Church of the Nativity depicting Persian Magi (an office in Persian
society), and left it relatively unscathed. Other holy places did not fare so
well. Seeing their ancestors on the church wall helped that invading army to
see that somehow this story of Christmas has something to do with them. Even
them!
The scandal of Christmas is that God bent down in love for everyone. I am surprised at how often we talk about God’s people in our resources and prayers, which technically is everyone, and then in our heads that becomes us Christians, and anyone who wants to join us. Everyone else gets left out. it all becomes about “the church” and those of us who belong. But these magi offer us the chance to intuitively grasp the essential meaning that this story is about everyone, even these magi who in the end really had no idea who this baby was, and 600 years later this army, who again had no idea what this place was about. All they knew was that it was holy, and it included them. Imagine our churches being like that, holy and including everyone. Imagine us living out this selfless gift of love, naming each person as holy because the story includes them.
In 614, as part of their on-going
conflict with the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire, the Persians invaded
Palestine. The story is told that when they arrived in Bethlehem, they saw magnificent
mosaics on the entrance to the Church of the Nativity depicting Persian Magi (an office in Persian
society), and left it relatively unscathed. Other holy places did not fare so
well. Seeing their ancestors on the church wall helped that invading army to
see that somehow this story of Christmas has something to do with them. Even
them! The scandal of Christmas is that God bent down in love for everyone. I am surprised at how often we talk about God’s people in our resources and prayers, which technically is everyone, and then in our heads that becomes us Christians, and anyone who wants to join us. Everyone else gets left out. it all becomes about “the church” and those of us who belong. But these magi offer us the chance to intuitively grasp the essential meaning that this story is about everyone, even these magi who in the end really had no idea who this baby was, and 600 years later this army, who again had no idea what this place was about. All they knew was that it was holy, and it included them. Imagine our churches being like that, holy and including everyone. Imagine us living out this selfless gift of love, naming each person as holy because the story includes them.
[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epiphany
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