In “Lessons of Epiphany,” Yvette Moore, Director of Communications for United Methodist Women, reflects on this special “loaded” day in our Christian calendar that celebrates multiple special occasions in the life of Jesus and thus, in the story of our faith.
All of them relate in some way to Jesus’ manifestation, or revelation, to the world as the Christ, the long-awaited Savior of his people.
Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas, January 6, is also Christmas Eve in the Orthodox Christian Church, just prior to their Christmas Day, January 7. In addition, Moore tells us, some Christian traditions celebrate Epiphany as the day of Jesus’ baptism, while some celebrate his miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding feast in Galilee.
But we are most familiar with Epiphany as the day that marks the arrival of the culturally diverse wise men, or Magi, from the East who came to worship and bring gifts of devotion to the Christ child.
Each of these occasions helped reveal Jesus’ divinity to the world, or at least to those who were present and no doubt would be inspired to go tell others.
Moore has “lots of questions” in particular about the Magi, also revered as the Three Kings—questions for which there may be no clear, convincing answers. But, she concludes, “Epiphany continues to reveal to me important lessons about following Jesus the Christ on a shrinking earth and in a nation that’s increasingly diverse.”
Read some of her other insightful conclusions about Jesus’ revelation, the value of unexpected strangers bearing gifts, and the paramount importance of revealing God’s “love and kindness” over secondary considerations of “theology and protocol.”
Moore writes, “There’s no reason to believe God’s not doing things like this in my neighborhood, our nation and in the world today.”