Epiphany

January 22, 2020

Scripture Reading: Psalm 27:1, 4-9
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
   whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
   of whom shall I be afraid?

One thing I asked of the Lord,
   that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord
   all the days of my life,to behold the beauty of the Lord,
   and to inquire in his temple. –Psalm 27:1, 4

In our world today it is odd to consider the lack of light. I turn my reading lamp off in my living room and click off another lamp each evening before I go to bed and still all around me light is present. Streetlights stream through openings in my curtains. Little electronic lights are everywhere even on my thermostat. Clocks in my kitchen on my microwave, stove, and coffee pot shine forth with the time, although they all usually show different times. One evening recently I was working on my laptop with the news playing on the TV when suddenly I heard my breaker box click and I found myself in utter darkness. There was not even any moonlight that night.  My phone was also dark but I new it was close by and runs on batteries. I felt round for it, push the right area, and already there appeared a news bulletin saying a driver had hit a main light pole knocking out our light for several blocks around.

I grew up on a farm and am thus well acquainted with utter darkness. We did eventually get a yard light. I do not recall the lack of light being scary as a child, while it did limit what I could do. We had flashlights handy if we needed to go check on something outside. I cannot image functioning in total blindness. It requires a wholly different way of perceiving the world for those who are blind if they are to succeed and thrive in our world.

We, too as children of God are called to perceive the world differently from God’s eyes through God’s light and react to the world within the lessons of that light. Living in such a new light requires a lot of trust and a lot of faith. Paul says regarding the Kingdom of God in 1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. At Jesus’ resurrection we began the journey of actualizing the Kingdom of God as Christ’s partners. To even remotely answer that calling we must trust in God and have faith in God’s guiding light.

Prayer: Lord, let your light be our beacon of faith, hope, and love sharing in the world today. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.