Nehemiah 8.1-3; Matthew 2.1-12
His name is Thomas, he says, Thomas Aquinas …
He came here with a pickup truck and trailer, loaded with water and food and clothing … from Catholic churches in San Luis Obispo …
He made several trips … last week, he gave to me the little toy on the front of our bulletin … a toy from a 5-year old child who wanted to give something.
Thomas gave it to me, and asked if I could put it on the Altar …
When I placed the toy, I said to Thomas, “out of the ashes” …
And he said, “Just like the Phoenix!”
We tell our stories to remind us … of essential truths … that life is hard … and life is good.
Such is the story of Epiphany, the season in which we now worship.
We don’t pay much attention to the Epiphany Season … we don’t send Epiphany cards, or have Epiphany parties … but maybe we should.
The word "epiphany" comes from the Greek word ἐπιφάνεια, which means "manifestation" or “appearance” … something become clear … an intuitive grasp of something otherwise beyond our immediate understanding … a moment of epiphany.
Three elements anchor the Epiphany Season …
- The Baptism of Jesus …
- The visit of the wise men …
- The first miracle, water into wine at a wedding ceremony …
Last week, we celebrated the baptism of Jesus …
This week, the journey of the Wise Men … they come from afar, with gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh … gifts of worth, gifts of tribute … for the child of Bethlehem … the future king.
And a little child gives a toy … a gift from afar … wisdom in a child’s way … the impulse to do some good.
I told a young man the other day, “You’ll make it, but it won’t be easy.”
Easy for me to say … but hard for any of us to live.
There is nothing magic about making our way through a tough time … all the prayers in the world won’t make it easy … but faith tells us: You will do it … you will find a way … there is a way through the wilderness … God is at your side … but it’s not easy.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me …
Thou preparest a table before me, in the presence of mine enemies …
Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane … prays for God to give him another way … the sweat drips from his brow, says the Bible, as if he were wounded … such is his agony, his despair, his distress …
Americans like to be positive, bright and cheery … nothing wrong with that, but sometimes it’s misleading … when things are hard, we waste time looking for an easier route … sometimes, things are just plain hard … and the only way through it, is through it …
Nor should we chide ourselves, or anyone else, when we’re not at our best … when we’re bone-weary … tired and worn out … filled with dread at night … awake in the morning, still more work to be done … and all of it hard.
Never underestimate the severity of hard times … we don’t always have to be cheery … we have to be honest.
The Bible says:
There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
The little child gives the toy …
The Phoenix rises from the ashes …
There is always Christ … a stone rolled away … life anew … the Tower still stands.
As I write these words, a phone call … a family from Porter Ranch - he grew up in Altadena … they want to send a check, they tell, to help a family or two … they ask for the church address and my name … one family, one check … it all adds up.
There are days ahead when doors will open … days when problems be come possibilities, when possibilities become promises … when promises are fulfilled.
What we don’t have, someone else has … what we need, someone will give …
And vice versa … someone needs what we may have … someone will use what we can give.
We’re in this together …
And that’s the clue … we don’t have to do this by ourselves …
A Malibu friend of mine wrote:
I wonder if that isn’t the point of all of this… Standing back from the personal… We all need to work together more than we have been and get rid of all of the boundaries of status and what not!
The Way, the Truth, and the Life:
Love one another … and love yourself while you’re at it.
Forgive quickly and deeply … and do the same to yourself.
Be patient and be kind … with yourself.
Trust other people, but don’t be foolish … in a time such as this, crooks and charlatans are happy to take your money.
Trust yourself … but ask for advice … consult with others … wait a little bit before making a big decision.
Be proud of your steps .. even the smallest of steps are steps in the right direction …
It’s never too late to do some good …
Share your food with the hungry …
Share your clothing with the naked …
Pray to your heavenly father … if words don’t come easily, then simply say three words, “Jesus my LORD” … or the simplest of prayers: “Help, Help, Help!”
Read Psalm 23 often … The LORD is my shepherd … and then read it again.
Remember to say Thank You! … there is still good in this world, and good in you, and those around you …
Remember to laugh … there is still humor in your soul, there is still humor in life.
Look for the good, and you’ll find it … make do with what you have …
Honor your negative feelings … they deserve a hearing, too … sometimes just saying, “I’m really angry right now” or “I’m really sad” clears the air …
Keep an eye on your moral character: who you are, and who you want to be? In the end, what will people remember of you?
Remember First Things: you are a gifted creation of God, you are redeemed of Christ, you have an eternal hope … do not forget First Things.
Whatever the road before you, take it … where’re it leads, go with it … stop when you must, go when you can … change course as needed.
You will make it …
Thank God for the child of Bethlehem …
The child in San Luis Obispo who gives the little toy …
And Thomas, who brings it here … just like the Wise Men of old … bearing gifts from afar.
And thanks to everyone - working day and night, to make things better.
The Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Amen and Amen!
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