WELCOME THE LIGHT OF EPIPHANY

After watching the 1999 film The Sixth Sense, I had an epiphany — “He was dead the whole time!” Of course, that sudden realization is a testament to the skillful storytelling of M. Night Shyamalan, but it also speaks to the desire to seek and know the truth. We’ve all had experiences like this before — moving from confusion to insight, from cluelessness to comprehension, from the dull, dark haze of darkness to the brilliant light of knowing. These types of moments tend to shape and form us because they are unforgettable. We’re attracted to these kinds of stories where the truth — so hard to see though it’s right in front of our eyes — is revealed. And once we see it, we can’t un-see it.

The Church Calendar has a season devoted to this kind of experience, and it’s called Epiphany. Following Christmas, Epiphany celebrates discovering the gift of God’s love (that’s the epiphany) and making it manifest (that’s the fulfillment). We hear the story of the coming of the Magi, those “seers” from the east, and we discover that these Magi were unlikely recipients and unlikely witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The epiphany of the Magi is our first taste that the gospel is meant for all of those who will come from the east and the west to worship Christ the King.