So, Now What? (An Epiphany Reflection)
In the Christian tradition, today is when the rubber meets the road.
Today, January 6th.
The twelve days of Christmas are over, we’ve thoroughly anticipated, celebrated, and rejoiced with Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, the local shepherds, and now—now—is the time when the rest of the world, and each of us, has to decide the answer to the question, “so what?”.
The story goes like this: the Jewish people had longed for, predicted, and anticipated the answer to their deepest prayers (a Messiah, in this case) for over 1500 years. And when faced with the stories that were circulating about a baby who just might be that Messiah, people responded in a few different ways:[1]
First, the chief priests and scribes. These are the respected community members, the lawyers, and religious leaders (who were also very intertwined with/as politicians). They had lived a life of hard work and duty, had advanced through the ranks to a prominent place in society. They did everything the culture required of them to keep things running as everyone believed it ought, and yet, in this story, they are not the ones to have the “eyes to see” the epiphany.
Then, we have King Herod, the leader of this Jewish world. The top dog. The winner. And yet, he seemed to trade a sense of internal peace and his moral compass for all of that. He was so scared of losing his power—his identity—that he lived in constant fear and vigilance, and was willing to resort to extremes including the mass murder of babies to try to keep it. When we get what we want and it defines us, we are always vulnerable to giving up too much to keep it. You may have heard, “what does it profit [someone] to gain the whole world, but lose [their] soul?” This is why.
And then, we have the “wise people” (we don’t know how many, or their gender). These were foreign astrologers, and the Torah (the Jewish authoritative scriptures) warned against astrology. So, they’re outsiders, not seen as very credible by respected folk, and you might say they’re a little hippy-dippy, or “a little sus” as the kids these days say. And yet, they are the ones who “get” it.
So, what?
Well, that’s up to you.
This could be a nice story of pageantry that explains[2] why there are three kings in nativity sets. Or, it could be an epiphany: a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something.[3]
If your choice is the former, you’re in good company; its most people’s choice. If it’s the later, keep reading.
For me, the epiphany here is about us. About human nature. The story holds a mirror up to our faces and hearts and says, “Look here! Who are you? You have some options; which archetype are you going to embody?”
And, of course, the “right” choice of archetype is obvious: anyone can read this story, with more than two thousand years of 20/20 hindsight, and know that the wise ones are the winners. But the truth is, we’re all all of them at times:
There are seasons—breaths—when we know what we think we want, work hard towards it, and find ourselves successful but blind to life’s wonders.
There are seasons—breaths—when what we have feels so good that we’re susceptible to giving up all that really is good.
And there are seasons—breaths—when we find the grace to live outside the norms, follow the star deep within us, and are open to epiphanies.
So, assuming we want more of the “wise-people” energy, how do we tap into the grace to live that way, when it’s so natural to slip into the other archetypes?
William V. Arnold[4] gives us a few gems of wisdom to carry with us as we travel towards our “star of wonder” that guides us “to thy perfect light.”:
Study – These wise people had searched their own past and religious texts, and the result of their study was a readiness, or at least a willingness, to recognize the sign when it appeared.
Presence – These scholarly folk did not keep their noses in the books all the time. They were also keen observers of the world around them.
Action – They were willing to actually go, move their feet to follow the signs and take a chance on being proven wrong—or right!
Help – They were willing to ask for directions along the way, even if they were wrong in their choice of resources (Herod).
Gratitude – Once their epiphany was confirmed, they responded with all of the gratitude they could muster.
Vigilance – After having their hopes realized, they still remained vigilant and attentive—open to further visions and insight—and thus they were responsive to their dream-delivered warning to go home by another road.
It’s a journey, friends. I wish you all appropriately-risky, truth-filled, joyful, and wise travels.
Always,
Alison
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[1] The complete Biblical account can be found in Matthew 2:1-12
[2] Well, it at least partially explains the presence of the 3 kings. In the story, yes, there were wise people who had a hunch and were devoted and daring enough to test their hypothesis. And, yes, the story says they gave Jesus extravagant gifts once they found him. But, they didn’t meet until a couple of years after Jesus’ birth (so they wouldn’t be there at the same time the shepherds, angel, and other characters in the traditional nativity scenes).
[3] a la Merriam-Webster
[4] William V. Arnold has served as pastor, chaplain, clinical supervisor, theological educator, academic dean, and author, and graciously shared these thoughts as a contributor to the Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary series, Year B, Volume 1.