Have you ever had a light switch moment or an aha experience? I’m talking about a time when a new discovery set your life on a different course. Maybe this awakening led to your career path or choosing a life partner. Possibly this epiphany interrupted your life as normal and rerouted you to a whole new direction. Or sadly, out of fear of change or need for security, you walked away from this enlightening moment, unwilling to risk where this new path may take you.
Today, Wednesday, January 6, is the Day of Epiphany on the Christian calendar. I didn’t grow up observing Epiphany. For the most part, my Christian tradition was limited to two calendar observances: Christmas and Easter. The other dates on our church calendar were revivals, singings, and potluck fellowships. When I was introduced to Epiphany, I better understood the Christmas song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Furthermore, I was challenged to allow God to surprise me, to reveal Himself in ways that disrupt my life and call me to see the world the way He sees it.
In Christian tradition, Epiphany highlights God making Himself known: God manifest, God revealed. This day points to God flipping on the light switch for the world. This light switch moment challenges and changes our current understanding of God. Epiphany reveals that the awesome God of the universe actually takes on flesh and lives among us. We also discover that God and His salvation are not just for me and my people. They are for the whole world: Shepherd and Magi, Jew and Gentile, American and Iranian.
