Epiphany: Restless Travelers
Dear Readers, your contructive critism is welcome. Either post on the discussion board or send directly to me at jms48@fuse.net. Thanks and Happy New Year!
Today is the Feast of Epiphany,
a rich celebration for the imagination!
This final part of the Christmas story
features political intrigue and suspense.
Unfortunately, it also includes a scene of unspeakable violence
and a narrow escape
from the brutality of Herod
on the part of Joseph, Mary and the baby.
This part of the Christmas story,
as we all know,
begins with the appearance of a star
and the arrival of mysterious visitors
from a far-away place.
This morning, I’d like to focus on those mysterious travelers
and see what their role in the Christmas story
means for folks like you and me
traveling, as we are, to some place off in the distance,
a place where our dreams come true
and our lives makes sense…
that place called heaven.
You know, the Bible talks a lot about travelers.
God’s people, have always been, at heart,
a traveling people.
From the day that Abraham and Sarah,
entertained angels at their camp site…
to the night that Joseph adjusted the packs on the donkey
that would carry Mary and her infant son to safety in Egypt…
all the way to that Sunday morning
when two disciples fell in step with the Risen Christ
on the way to the village of Emmaus…
all God’s people, as an old spiritual puts it,
“need travelin’ shoes.”
***
A couple of weeks before Christmas,
I joined a young couple and their three young children
on a holiday trip downtown.
We visited the Duke Energy train set
and watched the skaters at Fountain Square.
We strolled past the lobbies of hotels
and watched bellhops lift suitcases from the back of taxis.
I imagine that there were Christmas gifts in some of those suitcases.
After all, when you see a stack of suitcases
at the door of a downtown hotel
the week before Christmas,
you can’t help but think of a special gift
being brought from far away
designated for a grandchild or some other special person.
That’s what you expect holiday travelers to carry.
Yet, if those travelers arrived by plane,
those same suitcases and carry-on bags
would have been searched for other types of items,
items that remind us the world we live in
is an unlikely mix of joy and sorrow, happiness and danger.
The last chapter of the Christmas story
contains three good kings and one evil king,
In line with that story, today’s feast reminds us that
we travel through life with anticipation as well as trepidation.
Our lives are packed with both fun and fear.
A parent gives a child a birthday present
and the evening is full of light and happiness.
Later that night, however, the parent hovers near the door
where the child sleeps,
hears a slight rasp in the breathing,
and tries not to worry.
What a wonderful and fragile gift
is the gift of life.
Nevertheless, we can’t forget
that our life on earth is more like a highway
than a destination.
Spiritually speaking,
we are travelers, sojourners and nomads.
In his first letter, St. Peter says that we are like
foreigners and strangers in this world.
We’re never completely happy here,
we’re never completely at ease,
a part of us remains on guard
because, well, we’re simply not made for earth.
Now, of course, we experience joy and blessing beyond measure
as we pass through.
But these gifts simply do not compare
to the happiness that lies ahead.
As St. Paul writes,
“Eye has not seen, ear has not heard,
nor can our minds begin to imagine
what God has prepared for those who love him.”
And what better way to close the Christmas season
than to realize that our journey has just begun.
Abraham packed a tent,
Joseph packed a donkey.
Today, kids load up book bags
and strap them to their backs on their way to school.
Business travelers pack Samsonite luggage
and send their laptop security scanners at the airport.
Families load their SUV’s with car seats.
Athletes tote their gym bags.
Joggers grab their I-pods.
Obviously, we can’t step out of the house
without taking something with us.
God knows that we tend to drag a lot of baggage
and not many of us travel light.
But, if when you travel at night,
don’t forget to check the sky.
And if you happen to be on a leg of the journey
where you feel a little bit afraid,
look to the sky and search the stars.
There’s something about the heavens
that reminds us where we’re headed.
Because there’s something seeking our faith
that won’t let us stay put.
Today is the Feast of Epiphany,
a rich celebration for the imagination!
This final part of the Christmas story
features political intrigue and suspense.
Unfortunately, it also includes a scene of unspeakable violence
and a narrow escape
from the brutality of Herod
on the part of Joseph, Mary and the baby.
This part of the Christmas story,
as we all know,
begins with the appearance of a star
and the arrival of mysterious visitors
from a far-away place.
This morning, I’d like to focus on those mysterious travelers
and see what their role in the Christmas story
means for folks like you and me
traveling, as we are, to some place off in the distance,
a place where our dreams come true
and our lives makes sense…
that place called heaven.
You know, the Bible talks a lot about travelers.
God’s people, have always been, at heart,
a traveling people.
From the day that Abraham and Sarah,
entertained angels at their camp site…
to the night that Joseph adjusted the packs on the donkey
that would carry Mary and her infant son to safety in Egypt…
all the way to that Sunday morning
when two disciples fell in step with the Risen Christ
on the way to the village of Emmaus…
all God’s people, as an old spiritual puts it,
“need travelin’ shoes.”
***
A couple of weeks before Christmas,
I joined a young couple and their three young children
on a holiday trip downtown.
We visited the Duke Energy train set
and watched the skaters at Fountain Square.
We strolled past the lobbies of hotels
and watched bellhops lift suitcases from the back of taxis.
I imagine that there were Christmas gifts in some of those suitcases.
After all, when you see a stack of suitcases
at the door of a downtown hotel
the week before Christmas,
you can’t help but think of a special gift
being brought from far away
designated for a grandchild or some other special person.
That’s what you expect holiday travelers to carry.
Yet, if those travelers arrived by plane,
those same suitcases and carry-on bags
would have been searched for other types of items,
items that remind us the world we live in
is an unlikely mix of joy and sorrow, happiness and danger.
The last chapter of the Christmas story
contains three good kings and one evil king,
In line with that story, today’s feast reminds us that
we travel through life with anticipation as well as trepidation.
Our lives are packed with both fun and fear.
A parent gives a child a birthday present
and the evening is full of light and happiness.
Later that night, however, the parent hovers near the door
where the child sleeps,
hears a slight rasp in the breathing,
and tries not to worry.
What a wonderful and fragile gift
is the gift of life.
Nevertheless, we can’t forget
that our life on earth is more like a highway
than a destination.
Spiritually speaking,
we are travelers, sojourners and nomads.
In his first letter, St. Peter says that we are like
foreigners and strangers in this world.
We’re never completely happy here,
we’re never completely at ease,
a part of us remains on guard
because, well, we’re simply not made for earth.
Now, of course, we experience joy and blessing beyond measure
as we pass through.
But these gifts simply do not compare
to the happiness that lies ahead.
As St. Paul writes,
“Eye has not seen, ear has not heard,
nor can our minds begin to imagine
what God has prepared for those who love him.”
And what better way to close the Christmas season
than to realize that our journey has just begun.
Abraham packed a tent,
Joseph packed a donkey.
Today, kids load up book bags
and strap them to their backs on their way to school.
Business travelers pack Samsonite luggage
and send their laptop security scanners at the airport.
Families load their SUV’s with car seats.
Athletes tote their gym bags.
Joggers grab their I-pods.
Obviously, we can’t step out of the house
without taking something with us.
God knows that we tend to drag a lot of baggage
and not many of us travel light.
But, if when you travel at night,
don’t forget to check the sky.
And if you happen to be on a leg of the journey
where you feel a little bit afraid,
look to the sky and search the stars.
There’s something about the heavens
that reminds us where we’re headed.
Because there’s something seeking our faith
that won’t let us stay put.
posted by BlueCollarPreacher at 4:07 PM
<< Home