Where did Christmas go?
It seems the older I get and the busier I am,
the faster the season of Advent and Christmas slip by. And despite the secular establishments
committing to Christmas decorations, music, and gifts earlier and earlier in
the year, the season still manages to come and go before I think I am
ready. The moments with family become
more precious as the years go by, and the time spent drinking coffee by a fire
or watching Christmas specials on TV while sitting in the light of a beautifully
decorated Christmas tree have been taken for granted.
It is even more a shame that
on Dec. 26th the stores will pack up their displays, the radio
stations will return to the popular hits, and the secular mood will shift to
the next major Holiday—Valentine’s Day.
But this isn’t the case for us as Christians.
In fact, December 25th marks the
end of the Advent season and the beginning of the Christmas season, and for the
following 12 days we celebrate the birth of Christ, the Messiah, Emmanuel—God with
us. But again, the days seem to slip by
faster and faster every year.
The liturgical season of Christmas will soon be over, and we will
be thrusted into the season of Epiphany, which starts on January 6 (12 days after Christmas). Epiphany
is the short season nestled between Christmas and Lent, and too often it is understood as only
that—the season between.
Epiphany means “to show” or
“to make known.” It is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of
God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ (incarnation).
It is marked by the arrival of the Magi, who were Gentiles, coming
to worship Jesus. The birth of
God’s son is revealed to the world. God,
in human form, is the light of the world, and the world will never be the same.
Epiphany 2015 - Burning of the Greens - St. Paul's Durham, NC |
Epiphany, Christmas, Advent… it all seems to pass too quickly. But no matter how fast the seasons change,
both liturgically and secularly, there is one constant—God’s presence in the
light of Christ. We should be glad to
remember that Epiphany means “to make known,” or “to show,” and that throughout
the seasons we remember that God continues to make God’s presence know. God continues to show God’s people God’s
faithfulness and love.
We have five weeks in the Epiphany season this year. How is God making God’s self known in your
life everyday? How do you see God’s
presence among you daily? How is God’s
light shining through your actions, your neighbor’s, or even your enemies?
Originally Written by Daniel Locke for St. Paul's Durham, NC - January 2015 Cross Connections
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