Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. We celebrate the journey of the Magi and the wondrous star that led the three Wise Men to the Christ Child. The whole season of Christmas has been about the power of the light shining in the darkness. It truly is the season of hope! The Magi remind us that our journey in life may take many twists and turns along the way and we may grow weary at times but ultimately we will see Christ face to face at the end of our journey.
I’ve often thought what I must have been like for the Wise Men as they made their way to Bethlehem following the star. What happened on those cloudy nights when the star could no longer be seen? What happened when they’d go nights without seeing the star? Did they want to give up and go back home? I suspect when one of the Magi would lose hope that they would ever see the King, another would remind him about how good God has been to them. Maybe the other Magi would tell jokes or be silly just to keep them from giving up. The bottom line was that they made it even on the cloudy and stormy days because they had each other to remind them that the journey was not in vain.
It’s the same with us. There are days when all of us lose our way and no longer see any star. There are moments when we want to just give up and go to a place that’s comfortable but we realize we can’t give up. We have to keep going and looking for the star until the clouds pass by. In those moments of cloudy nights we are called to encourage each other to keep moving and remind one another that the star will be our again. Sometimes we just have to be patient and wait for the star to appear. So let’s keep going and carry our gifts to the King. Then, at the end of our journey, we will carry our gifts, the gifts of our lives, to present to our Beloved Christ. The gifts that we will bring are the gifts that we have used throughout the journey of our lives: our courage in the face of adversity, our love for those who were difficult, our faith during those moments of darkness, and the joy and hope we brought to those fellow travelers along the way. The rest of our life (our great accomplishments, our brains, our wonderful personalities, our good looks, our wealth, etc) will not matter to Christ. What will matter is whether we were a light in the darkness throughout our lives. What will matter to Christ is that we held on even when it would have been more comfortable to take the easy road. What will matter to Christ is that we gave the gift of ourselves generously to those people closest to us along the way. What will matter to Christ is whether the world was a bit more hopeful because we were here. Those are the gifts that matter. So let’s keep walking and find the Star in our own lives that leads us to Christ and not give up until we see Him face to face!
I’ve often thought what I must have been like for the Wise Men as they made their way to Bethlehem following the star. What happened on those cloudy nights when the star could no longer be seen? What happened when they’d go nights without seeing the star? Did they want to give up and go back home? I suspect when one of the Magi would lose hope that they would ever see the King, another would remind him about how good God has been to them. Maybe the other Magi would tell jokes or be silly just to keep them from giving up. The bottom line was that they made it even on the cloudy and stormy days because they had each other to remind them that the journey was not in vain.
It’s the same with us. There are days when all of us lose our way and no longer see any star. There are moments when we want to just give up and go to a place that’s comfortable but we realize we can’t give up. We have to keep going and looking for the star until the clouds pass by. In those moments of cloudy nights we are called to encourage each other to keep moving and remind one another that the star will be our again. Sometimes we just have to be patient and wait for the star to appear. So let’s keep going and carry our gifts to the King. Then, at the end of our journey, we will carry our gifts, the gifts of our lives, to present to our Beloved Christ. The gifts that we will bring are the gifts that we have used throughout the journey of our lives: our courage in the face of adversity, our love for those who were difficult, our faith during those moments of darkness, and the joy and hope we brought to those fellow travelers along the way. The rest of our life (our great accomplishments, our brains, our wonderful personalities, our good looks, our wealth, etc) will not matter to Christ. What will matter is whether we were a light in the darkness throughout our lives. What will matter to Christ is that we held on even when it would have been more comfortable to take the easy road. What will matter to Christ is that we gave the gift of ourselves generously to those people closest to us along the way. What will matter to Christ is whether the world was a bit more hopeful because we were here. Those are the gifts that matter. So let’s keep walking and find the Star in our own lives that leads us to Christ and not give up until we see Him face to face!