Epiphany

"Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you." Is 60:1

Searching for the living God is a life long adventure, and the feast of the Kings reminds us of this. Don't be afraid the astrologers from the East proclaim. As long as you are looking for God, God will find you. Sometimes it will be a star in the sky. At other times, it will be a sunset in summer or a flower in winter that captures us with its beauty and reminds us to keep going, to keep searching. Though God is very near, we do not always sense God's presence, but as long as our spirits remain open, our journey will not be in vain.

The scriptures do not tell us how long the Magi from the East looked in the skies for a sign of God's love. Neither do they tells us how long their journey was, but they do tell us that those who left their homes and followed the star came to Jerusalem expecting to encounter the King of the Jews, and in this they offer us a model for our own lives. Despite Herod's disingenuous questions and assurance that he too wanted to worship the new King, the Magi kept listening to God and their dreams, and that is our task as a new year begins.

The church may be very weak in the United States, and our parish churches almost empty in places, but as long as we accept the call to discipleship, we cannot go wrong. Assuredly, the message about the Messiah came to God's people from beyond their shores, but for those who kept listening to the signs of the times there was no surprise. God will come to us as God wants. We have only to be ready.

Today, expect a surprise.

How has God entered your life in ways you did not expect?