Dear friends in Christ,
Today the church celebrates the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a rich feast day, and there are plenty of aspects we could focus on. Since I can only cover one small facet here, I hope you’ll find your way to church today to celebrate the fullness of the Epiphany!
I’m struck by how Herod, with his military might and his access to top thinkers, just couldn’t comprehend what was happening. His conventional wisdom taught him that might and coercive power are all that matter. He couldn’t fathom the generous and sacrificial love made flesh in Jesus Christ—the manifestation of God’s grace and mercy.
The magi took a costly and difficult journey as they were seeking something greater than themselves, greater than anything. These “wise men” were filled not with conventional wisdom, but with deep faith and trust.
We have plenty to learn here. We can see how God is manifest for us if we will but seek him. We may not find God in conventional wisdom, but rather in trust and deep faith. And we should expect that the Herods of our time—just as it was 2,000 years ago—cannot or will not comprehend that God’s love demands that we reject coercive power and might.
Let us, like the magi, seek Jesus—knowing that we may need to go by another way after we find him. Let us, like the magi, the prophets, the apostles, and the martyrs, announce that conventional strength does not define our world. Our world is, in fact, defined by God’s grace and mercy. In the end, Herods never get the last word. The final word belongs to love.
In Christ’s peace,
Scott Gunn
Executive Director
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