There is such value of telling stories for telling one’s story is a way of understanding one’s life and history and place in the universe. We all have family stories, and they begin with “I remember” or “remember the time?”, connecting us to one another and to our past. In fact, the word “remember” has two parts: “re” and “member”. To remember is to re-connect parts of something, to reintegrate and make whole again. The stories told us as children, we now tell our own children, connecting us on that great continuum of ancestors and descendents.
Scripture stories comfort, astonish, amaze, confuse and confound us. These are stories that support and sometimes challenge our faith and so we re-tell them, working at understanding and deepening our faith. Granted some stories are more familiar than others because we tell them so often. If we were to look around while we hear the familiar Gospel on Christmas Eve, we’d see lips moving along with the Reader. They are that familiar; written in our hearts. Many of us have favourite stories, or at least favourite verses, and they help us understand our lives and history and place in the universe. They’re stories that we re-tell each other, tell children in our Sunday School, our own children, and like our family stories, they connect us on that great continuum of ancestors and descendants of our faith.
Take the stories chosen for Epiphany. There are parts of that Isaiah passage I’m sure you can recite: “Arise, shine; for your light has come” and “They shall bring gold and frankincense”; words foretelling the arrival of the Eastern Sages, bringing gifts to the Messiah, light to a dark world.
St. Paul tells the Ephesians these stories have been “revealed to us so that we might have access to God”. These revelations re-member, re-connect us to those who have gone before us, and give us a family memory to pass along to those who come after us.
The Epiphany Gospel is another case in point. The story of the Magi coming to find the newborn king is full of intrigue and lavish detail; the scheming Herod and the exotic travelers capture our imagination. We can “see” the grandeur of their robes, smell the perfume, taste the dust of their journey. And who doesn’t love a story set at night illumined by a brilliant star? It’s one of the stories read at this time of year that is like a lot of family stories, which get “embroidered” a little more with each re-telling. Pictures on Christmas cards and figures in most Nativity sets illustrate these men as kings, and there are always three of them depicted, though, if you were listening closely to the story, neither of these “details” is actually written there. And there are often scenes of camels on the Christmas cards – but again, no real mention in the original story.
So, what might we learn from those who left familiar climes to follow a mysterious star? How is our own journey mirrored in their journey?
An “epiphany” is a kind of “ah ha” moment, when some truth “dawns” on us, when something with deeper meaning is revealed or clarified for us. The arrival of these visitors signals God coming in human form into the whole creation which God so dearly loves. Though details are sketchy, scholars maintain that the Magi did not arrive on Christmas Eve as many a Christmas Pageant would tell us. It’s believed they actually arrived as much as two years after the birth. Two years of wandering, watching, waiting. They must have been patient men – or maybe they were actually stubborn men, determined to get to their destination. Whatever the case, something kept them going onwards. Call it faith or hope – whatever it was, it gave them strength to persevere. How many of you have had a dream that was a long time coming? There may have been days of disappointment, doubt, and maybe even dread. But our own life stories tell us that perseverance pays off. That even when the way seems dark and details undefined, there’s something, a glimmer of hope, a ray of light that keeps us going. Perhaps for these men it was the star – that guiding star that kept their spirits up and their hearts motivated.
As we turn the calendar page, despite the chilly weather, what keeps you open to the possibilities this new year holds? What epiphanies will you experience, what quest will you pursue?
Below is a list of words. Pick one and, if you’re feeling crafty, write it on a star. Let it be a kind of guide for you this year. Now, the word may make little sense to you right now but sit with it – pray with it. This is completely random and there’s nothing magical about it, but the word you chose could well turn out to challenge you onward in a new direction. For instance, one of the words is “song”. You may not think of yourself as a singer but what if you were to “put a song in your heart”? Look at life in a more joyful way? What if you were to try singing – even if it is only to yourself, in your car with the radio turned way up. And if song seems to be the perfect word for you, that is, you’re already a singer – what new ways might you think about songs and singing? What new ways can you bring the music of life to others?
Put your star some place prominent – use it as a bookmark. Put it on your fridge or mirror. Use it in your prayer and see where God may be leading you. The blessings of Epiphany are abundant.
Guiding Stars
Song
Art
Generosity
Time
Humility
Persistence
Dedication
Inspiration
Comfort
Wholeness
Openness
Pardon
Understanding
Laughter
Acceptance
Empathy
Fellowship
Courage
Confidence
Playfulness
Strength
Comfort
Leadership
Don’t like any of these? Choose something else!
