January 6 is the festival of Epiphany in the Christian calendar. Epiphany is defined as “manifestation, disclosure, or revelation.” It is a moment in which we see or understand something in a new way. Traditionally, January 6 is celebrated as the day the Magi arrived to visit Jesus, symbolically marking the revelation of a new order for the whole world. As the light continues to grow with each passing day for those of us in the northern hemisphere, we are invited to reflect upon ways that the Spirit is revealing an unfolding light and new growth in our own lives, day by day. What possibilities are being disclosed to us and made manifest in our days?
In this season after Epiphany, the lectionary gives us scriptural accounts of the baptism of Jesus. In many traditions, a renewal of baptismal vows takes place. As Jesus rose out of the waters of his baptism, hearing the words, “You are my beloved, in whom I delight”, we are asked to take these words of God into ourselves, for we have been baptized into this reality of God’s creation. Thus we affirm that our true identity is that we are creations of a loving God. We belong in this world of creation where there are no “extra” people. All are creations of this loving Creator, made in the image of God. It is an identity given to us as a gift. It is our identity that is not “achievement based”, but is based upon our very being, our birth itself.
What would it mean if each of us took deep into our hearts these words of affirmation, as well as sharing them with one another in our church and our world? Would you see yourself and others with different eyes? Would your actions reflect this understanding of God’s love that is always a resource, a refuge and strength, a present help in trouble? Would you rest in that identity that turns to the “Higher One” for guidance, strength, love, and renewal of hope? God who loves us more than we can love ourselves. God who shows us how to love our neighbors as ourselves.
We live in a world in which we are warned to protect ourselves from “identity theft” in all kinds of ways. Yet the thief that would take away this identity that is given to us by God if we will only receive it may be the true thief from which we need protection. In our world of proving ourselves and our identity only through achievement, attainment, acquiring more and more in attempts to make our selves worthy, we may need to be reminded often of our deeper identity beneath this acquired identity: our lives as creatures of the Creator—lives that are far greater than our ego thinks, and in which our soul finds strength. Instead of our futile attempts to achieve our worth, may we understand its magnificent reversal, so palpable in the baby of Bethlehem: God’s love bestows our worth!
May God bless and enlighten us with an ever-growing light in our Epiphany explorations of this love. Then we may all rejoice as children of a loving God upon whom we can be centered and in whom we are grounded. May this reality then make us ready to love and serve one another as we have first been loved and served.