Wednesday was the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrating the visit of the three Magi to the child Jesus. In their visit, they give him gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh, which represent his identity as prophet, priest, and king.
The visit occurs at a time of political turmoil. Herod is a despotic ruler in fear of being challenged by this child. He fakes interest in doing the child homage so he can discover who and where this child is in order to destroy him. Hearing of these these threats, as the Epiphany gospel passage ends, the Magi return to their home “by another way.”
By divine action, Herod is not successful, though much damage is done in his wake.
We normally celebrate Epiphany with great joy as the close-out of the Christmas season. However, as events unfolded on Wednesday with the attack on the Capitol fomented by a leader fearful of losing his power, the darker side of the Gospel stands out.
We all stand in shock, horror, and disgust at what we saw on Wednesday. Knowing the people of St. Peter’s, I have zero doubt of that. We all grieve the death and damage that occurred, and we share thanksgiving that the Constitutional mandates of our democracy were fulfilled.
As Christians and as citizens, we have a challenge going forward. Senator Mitt Romney said on Wednesday night, “The best way we can show respect to [those who are] upset is by telling them the truth.”
One of the hard and inconvenient truths is that our democracy and our society are sick - I mean this in a diagnostic way, not a pejorative way. We, as Christians, churches, and citizens, have stood by while dysfunction goes unchallenged and injustice has been done. At times, we have even encouraged the dysfunction and injustice. I know these are hard words and some may ask, “We? Surely not me!”
I remember our late Bishop George Councell once saying how the first thing his listened for when visiting a congregation was how the priest spoke. If the priest kept saying “we,” the Bishop knew the congregation was united and supportive of one another. If the priest instead spoke of “me and them,” then the Bishop knew to look for brewing discord and dysfunction.
The reality is that if we are all residents of this nation, we are “we.” There is no “us” and “them.” We all live and participate in the same system so what happens to one, happens to all. What happened on Wednesday is what we, as a nation, have done to ourselves - either through complicit activity or by standing by and assuming “it’s not that bad” or “It will get better” or “somebody else will take care of it.”
Our challenge now is to discern how we go forward - together - towards greater health and wholeness, how go forward to be the very best that the ideals of our founders call us to be. And, as Christians, how we go forward in ways the honors and reveals Christ.
I think the Gospel speaks to that. The Magi met Jesus and were changed. In their change, they did not return home by the way they came. They returned home, in St. Matthew’s words, “by another way.”
This is an invitation to a new beginning. Indeed, that is the power of the Christmas to me, the birth of Christ is a moment in which light shines in the darkness and tells us, “Here is a new beginning. Here is another way.”
I am convicted to the core of my being that the way of Christ leads to healing and life. The older I become, the more convinced I am than ever that without Christ, without a focus on God’s healing work in this world and our place as followers of God, we continue to embrace ways that ultimately lead to death.
Before Wednesday, I was going to use this column to write about our new program for the year focusing on faith practices. Each month, we are spotlighting a particular practice. January is Serving Others. Our faith practices is how we follow Christ by "another way." Now, more than ever, I encourage you to engage with our resources and walk together with us in this journey. Click the links above to learn more.
God is speaking to us in this moment. Indeed, this Sunday, we will hear God’s words in the Gospel “this is my Son, my beloved, listen to him.” The promise of the Gospel is that if we listen to God, if we follow the way of Christ, if we continue our journey “by another way,” we can both find and be servants of the healing and new life we so deeply crave.
Together with you in Christ,
Dirk+
By another way