Reflections on January 6

It is an important day -  The Epiphany of the Lord.

 And a day to reflect on the Capitol Insurrection.

Both are important to me. 

Besides being a Christian Festival celebrated on January 6, the word "Epiphany" means this:

 - a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something

The original Epiphany story is about the three Magi who are following a star to find the "child born king of the Jews." What is really interesting to me about that is that  somehow they  get led to the court of  King Herod in Jerusalem.  What I wonder is whether the places of power and prestige lure us first in our seeking.  They encounter Herod whose motivations for finding the "King" are later revealed to be fearful,  greedy, and murderous.

Then they find their way to Bethlehem where they are "overwhelmed with joy." at the sight of the mother and child in very humble circumstances. The birth of Jesus in a stable   is a foreshadowing of his peace, unconditional love, non defensiveness and trust in the power of the unseen God.  It reveals  his way of   vulnerability  and trusting  God in the midst of a world with evil, corruption and greed.  

And, of course, we, too are invited to trust God in the midst of the evil, corruption and greed of the world today.  I wonder what that looks like.  Yesterday there were  articles and television shows reviewing and rehashing the events of a year ago.  What has been revealed here has been how divided we are as a nation and how weak our leaders are.  Right after the event, many  people  recognized that our former president fomented this insurrection.  Since then,  it is distressing to watch prominent leaders recant and deny the reality and seriousness of that day.  And once again there is division as  we lock into who is right and who is wrong - similar to the stances regarding vaccines, masks, etc. The politicians do seem to agree on one thing -  this terrible day is a great vehicle for fundraising.   All of this is troubling.

And my question - what does it look like to trust God in the midst of a world with evil, corruption, lies and greed.  As I reflect on  the events of yesterday,  I learned also about two people in my life are  touched by  cancer and one is greatly grieving the loss of a significant person.   And so the question becomes more personal - what does it look like to trust God in the midst of  personal illness, struggle and grief?

And as I sit here at my computer this morning I have an epiphany.  For all of this, it is about vulnerability. Recognizing how vulnerable we all are - to false prophets, conspiracy theories, distorted thinking. And to self righteousness, certitude and pride.  And to fear , anxiety, and  despair.

So, I start today with God's word and an awareness of God's love for all of us and me in particular. The scripture for today speaks to me about the reality of false prophets and that "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (i John 4)   Like the Magi I am a seeker who sometimes goes off course but ultimately finds the deepest joy in the presence of God - often found  in unlikely places. There is so much that I don't understand in the moment and trust that God is present always and bringing love, healing, peace, wisdom, guidance and hope in every circumstance.   I remain grateful and awed by  the epiphanies in my life - those moments when God reveals Godself to me.

And pray for MORE!

A Prayer by Maxine Shonk

May the God of AWARENESS be with you.

May you always be attentive to God's activity in your life and in tune with God's desire for you.

May your awareness of God's total love for you bring you to a keen appreciation of the gift of your creation.

And may this awareness move you to an appreciation of all created beings as expressions of God's love.

May the God of    AWARENESS bless you.

Amen