An old Buddhist story tells of the seeker who after years of instruction and meditation goes on a pilgrimage high in the mountains, where at last he has a transforming vision that heralds his enlightenment. Full of excitement, he returns to his teacher to tell of the wonderful thing that has befallen him. The teacher, a man of many years and hard-won wisdom, replies: “Don’t worry, you’ll get over it.”
As much as we want that transformative moment, it usually comes more slowly. All change does though our faith processes it an instant. We want change and we want it fast. We want the whole world to transform before our very eyes and it rarely happens like that.
In the Christian tradition, it is the language of Epiphany. It begins with a feast day with king cakes, gifts and all kinds of wonder. We skip over the long journey and the ambitious reasons that brought those wise people to be searching for anything. We focus on what they found and emphasize this as the end of the story. It’s the last piece of the nativity scene and the twelfth night of the Christmas season. The Christian calendar shifts to mark the Season after Epiphany as if everything has changed in this one moment. Maybe it has. Maybe it does every year.
I prefer to think of Epiphany as a season full of a tiny, wonderful revelations. Every day, the light gets a little brighter. It becomes a little bit clearer until light is transfigured before the disciples’ eyes and a whole new season begins.
Somewhere in those days of Epiphany is the celebration of Candlemas which has many of its own unique observances. It emerges from the same shift that has witches and warlocks dancing through the streets at this time of year in Germany. The light is beginning to change and there was a time where darkness was feared so much that evil spirits had to be chased away. In the Christian tradition, the church would bless and distribute candles on this day that marks Jesus’ presentation in the temple in Luke 2:22-40 on February 2. It was in that story that Anna and Simeon have their own epiphanies. They see the light in this child and wonder what they should do with it. Will it change everything or will they get over it?
There are a thousand ways to take inventory of your soul and determine what you will do to respond to the radiance of God-with-us again. Will it change everything? Could it? Here are three simple ways to reflect on how you might be carrying light into this world.
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