A blessed Epiphany, my siblings in Christ.

I was saddened in late December by the passing of singer and comedian Tommy Smothers. I will always remember the comedy bit he would do with this brother Dick.

At one point you could always count on him letting go a “Mom always liked you best!” as he and his brother would argue onstage.

Epiphany, in my mind, shares that status.

We have the Christmas season, which technically goes from Christmas Eve until the Day of Epiphany, January sixth, then it is followed by the Epiphany season, which ends on Ash Wednesday. I can’t help but feel in the eyes of the world it is Christmas’ neglected brother, like poor Tommy.

Epiphany (manifestation) has been called “The Season of Light.” It begins with festival of the Magi, following the star to Bethlehem and ends, (Sunday wise) with The Transfiguration.

Jesus is seen on the top of Mt. Tabor by Peter, James and John, displayed in dazzling light. When you think about it, in our hemisphere this is what is happening meteorologically.

The days are slowly getting longer, as light returns.

If our planet’s axis were truly vertical North and South, we would have a constant 12 hour day followed by a 12 hour night. We, however, are tilted at a 23-degree axis, which accounts for our seasons as we travel around our sun at 67 000 miles an hour. (No wonder we can feel dizzy at times.)

World cultures have always interested me. In December, I will ask Hispanics I meet “ Who brings the presents?”. In some cultures, it is “Los Tres Reyes Magos,” the Three Wise Kings. If that sounds odd, those of us with German blood should remember that in parts of Germany, it is the Christ Child who brings the gifts.

“Kris Kringle” has nothing to do with Santa Claus, but is a corruption of the “Christ Kindle” or “Christ child,” I kind of like the idea myself, after all, the Magi did bring the gifts to the holy family in the first place, and Jesus is God’s greatest gift to the human family. We can be gifts to others.

Who were the Magi? I do love the song “We Three Kings.” It was composed here in Pennsylvania. It very much as it outlines the nature of the gifts brought to the Lord Jesus and that Jesus is respectively “God and King and Sacrifice.” But in reality, the Magi were probably not kings, nor from the orient (they were from what we know today as Iran) and we don’t know how many there were, only the three types of gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The Magi were scholars, and astronomers, they represented the learned class of the day. Today we might cast them as Albert Einstein, Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawkins, since we don’t know the number, we could throw in Isaac Newton and Johannes Kepler, with Galileo for good measure.

What the was star that they followed? Kepler, a Lutheran, posited that it might have been a triple conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter. Our ancestors at one time thought planets to be wandering stars, indeed the word planet means “wanderer.”

Was it a comet? Was it a special creation of God? Who knows? It’s just one of the many questions I’ve got stored for my first few days in eternity. (“Lord, about duck billed platypuses, were you being silly that day or just wanting to give Darwin dyspepsia?)

Perhaps we can take some lessons from the season. One is with that God can use the unexpected. He chooses foreigners to show us who Jesus is. Magi in their culture were the ones who coronated Kings. Their seeking a king was part of their job description.

Another is that God provides for both spiritual and material need.

The frankincense and myrrh had religious connotations and I can’t help but think of how gold may have been used to fund the family’s flight as refugees to Egypt. Finally, there is the light of the star.

From the beginning when God said, “Let there be Light.” God is in the enlightening business. A bible passage I’ve read a million times, will suddenly take on a whole new meaning. I will never forget needing to find delegates for a church assembly. Numerous failed attempts left me frustrated.

Then as I was using the local ATM, and thinking “Lord, I’m stuck, help me.” I saw a couple walking the down the street. That night God provided in a way that put the ATM to shame. It was an epiphany, an “Aha” moment.

Another lesson, I learned, quite dramatically is that light has healing properties, I remember when I was in college, I started developing dark patches on my skin. I went to the campus doctor who told me to go lay in the sun for a while.

Jesus, who was introduced to us by the light of a star, becomes the light of the world. We are called by him to go and do likewise. How may we be lights of healing in people’s lives today?

Numerous times just a word of counsel or comfort may ignite a light in someone. What person, project or program can you be a part to bring light to people’s lives? It can be a little thing. A Hispanic woman once asked me for directions to a certain grocery aisle. The fact that I could tell her it was in aisle “Cinco” gave her a shining grin I’ll always remember. A bit of kindness at the right time and place can be every illuminating.

In a world of hatred, and animosity, (I thank God for my televisions’ mute buttons during campaign season) we can shine the light of forgiveness and reconciliation. I was reminded recently, given the weather, of the time my car was bumped from behind by someone on icy road. He got out of the car and apologized and we checked for any damage. Seeing none, I asked for his name and number in case my muffler suddenly fell off. Later I would get a giggle when I saw the chap’s last name, “Small.” It made me think that if I was nasty, like some of attack ads we might see this year, I would be the “Small” one, not him. I wish politicians would realize tracer bullets work both ways.

Finally, given a new year, let me leave you with these words by Dustin Kensrue.

He wrote a hymn entitled “All Glory Be To Christ.”

The chorus sings to “Auld Langs Syne” (check YouTube) The chorus goes.

All Glory be to Christ the King!

All Glory be to Christ!

His reign and rule we’ll ever sing!

All Glory be to Christ!

Memorize it and add it to your spiritual arsenal, something to throw in the devil’s face when he tries to take away your light this week. With the new year, may we ponder possibilities of light passing to people, home and abroad. Keep up the God Work!