Epiphany and God’s Mission

Matthew 2:12 Then, since they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by a different route.

Have you ever noticed that once the wisemen had seen and worshipped the infant Jesus, they changed their route, their itinerary was completely revised. Sometimes the circumstances of our lives seem to be leading us in a different direction than we originally planned. As seekers of Jesus, we need to be open to these changes and try to look at them through God’s eyes. For the wisemen, the clarity of direction only came once they had been in the presence of Jesus.

A group of young children were sitting together at the cinema when one decided to go off and get some popcorn. When he came back into the theatre he couldn’t find his group. Anxiously he walked up and down the aisles growing more and more concerned and confused with each step. Finally, he went down to the front, climbed up on the platform and then stood in front of the screen and shouted, “Please, does anyone know who I am, and where I should be?” – That’s a question many people continually ask: Who am I, where should I be, where am I going?

We could almost add another blessed to the beatitudes - “blessed is the one who finds out which way God is moving and then gets going in the same direction.”

Having brought our best gift to the Christ-child, namely ourselves, which direction do we choose.

“How hard it was for me 

to find you the perfect gift. 

I had looked everywhere 

and considered every idea 

until I had an epiphany 

and felt as wise as the magi. 

For my gift would be simple. 

For my gift would be honest. 

How hard it was for me 

to wrap myself neatly 

and feign sobriety. 

Yet, 

how easy it was for you 

to pull the ribbon and uncover me. 

Exposing my fears. 

Exposing my desires. 

How hard it was for me 

to gift myself to you. 

Yet, 

how easy it was for you 

to make me undone.” 

― Kamand Kojouri

May the path that Christ walks to bring justice upon the earth, to bring light to those who sit in darkness, to bring out those who live in bondage, to bring new things to all creation: may this path run through our life. May we be the road Christ takes. Amen