Of all the liars in the world...: 01/06/09

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Epiphany/Theophany

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany.

You can read about it here.

Any feast which recognizes the manifestation of God in human form is probably worth pausing just for a moment or two to consider.

In the Western Church, we remember the coming of the Magi today.

The Eastern Church calls the feast Theophany, and commemorates the baptism of Jesus.

The details I read about this feast are fascinating.

And so, tonight, for a few minutes, as the last of my advent candles burns down, and I light the three pillars that symbolize the trinity, and that replace the advent wreath and Christ candle (given as a gift to a friend) that sat on my dresser throughout the period of waiting, I'm pausing, to pray, to listen, to be thankful for the coming of God in human form, and to remember what the Eastern church celebrates as a truly trinitarian moment - the baptism of Jesus.

I pause, and I'm thankful for a God who took on flesh. For a God who revealed his nature to us in way that made it possible for us to enter into the life he offered more fully and deeply.

Henri offers a bit more wisdom...

I found several challenging reflections from Henri Nouwen awaiting me in my inbox upon my return to work this morning, and thought I'd share them with you again...

Vulnerable, Like a Bird

Life is precious. Not because it is unchangeable, like a diamond, but because it is vulnerable, like a little bird. To love life means to love its vulnerability, asking for care, attention, guidance, and support. Life and death are connected by vulnerability. The newborn child and the dying elder both remind us of the preciousness of our lives. Let's not forget the preciousness and vulnerability of life during the times we are powerful, successful, and popular.

Fruits That Grow in Vulnerability

There is a great difference between successfulness and fruitfulness. Success comes from strength, control, and respectability. A successful person has the energy to create something, to keep control over its development, and to make it available in large quantities. Success brings many rewards and often fame. Fruits, however, come from weakness and vulnerability. And fruits are unique. A child is the fruit conceived in vulnerability, community is the fruit born through shared brokenness, and intimacy is the fruit that grows through touching one another's wounds. Let's remind one another that what brings us true joy is not successfulness but fruitfulness.

Living the Moment to the Fullest

Patience is a hard discipline. It is not just waiting until something happens over which we have no control: the arrival of the bus, the end of the rain, the return of a friend, the resolution of a conflict. Patience is not a waiting passivity until someone else does something. Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are. When we are impatient we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later and somewhere else. Let's be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand.

Spiritual Choices

Choices. Choices make the difference. Two people are in the same accident and severely wounded. They did not choose to be in the accident. It happened to them. But one of them chose to live the experience in bitterness, the other in gratitude. These choices radically influenced their lives and the lives of their families and friends. We have very little control over what happens in our lives, but we have a lot of control over how we integrate and remember what happens. It is precisely these spiritual choices that determine whether we live our lives with dignity.