Hidden under one form or another , there is always a star glittering out there in the darkness to lead us to God.
The Feast of the Epiphany achieved great importance early on in the history of the Church. It was celebrated long before even Christmas itself came to be regarded as a feast. I think it was because the many converts from paganism at that time saw in the story of the magi their own story. The magi were guided by a star. They were led by God to the stable in Bethlehem where they offered the Christ Child their gifts and paid him homage. The early converts to Christianity, like any convert today, realised that they too were guided by God and led on a journey of faith and brought to belief in Christ.
Hidden under one form or another, there is always a star glittering out there in the darkness to lead us to God.
Each one of us has been brought by God into a greater awareness of God’s existence. It may have been because we searched as adults and, whether suddenly, or gradually. we found faith. It may be that we were brought up as Christians by our parents; that in our earliest childhood we came to a knowledge of God’s existence and of God’s love for us. The gradual realisation by a child of what faith in Christ actually means is no less of a conversion than that of an adult in the prime of life. It is just as genuine, just as deep, just as life changing. Sometimes it is in our childhood that we see things most clearly. As we grow older we do not always grow wiser; quite often the preoccupations of raising children, maintaining our relationships and paying a mortgage get in the way and cloud our vision. What started off as certainly and firmness of faith can, with the busy-ness of life, easily fade away into disinterest and a kind of spiritual laziness.
So today, the Feast of Epiphany, becomes a chance to look for that star once more. The Magi let God lead them. Their journey was not merely a journey of life but it was also a journey of faith. And God was revealed to them in the person of Jesus, the Christ-Child. In one way or another the same thing has happened to each one of us.
Hidden under one form or another, there is always a star glittering out there in the darkness to lead us to God.
Like the Magi, God leads you and I on a journey of faith where God is revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Think for a moment about your own journey through life. How has God been revealed to you?
Perhaps it was in an overpowering spiritual experience, a kind of “St. Paul knocked of his horse” kind of conversion. A Big Epiphany. If so, I am happy for you !! And if I am honest, I am a little bit jealous. For me, and I suspect for many of you here today, God has revealed Godself in a myriad of small, and often unexpected ways. A series of subtle movements of events, of words spoken, of life experiences, each one unique to just you. A series of small Epiphanies. Some, in fact – most, of those experiences go beyond words.
For me, some have been in times of great excitement. Like, the incredible feeling of being present at the birth of my children …. words just can’t describe the profound spiritual impact of those moments ….. and if you have had that opportunity, then you know what I mean. Others have been in deeply moving experiences of connection. I remember one where Helen and I sat on top of a large boulder in the rocky mountains of Colorado, surrounded by the immensity of God’s creation, and prayed the Morning Office together. Still others have been in reflecting on events in my life, and seeing how seemingly unconnected events and decisions have woven themselves into an undeniable path of greater awareness of God’s existence and God’s presence in my life.
And therein lies the message for you and I today on this Feast of Epiphany. There are a whole series of Epiphanies awaiting us if we, like the Magi, co-operate with God and let God lead us.
We may not have Gold, or Frankincense or Myrrh, like the Magi. But maybe, just maybe, we can give an even greater gift to the Christ-child this Epiphany.
- the gift of taking time, each day, to be aware of God’s presence
- the gift of taking time, each day, to follow where God gently leads us
- the gift of taking time to see God disguised in the events of the day and in the people we encounter
Hidden under one form or another, there is always a star glittering out there in the darkness to lead us to God.