Little Epiphanies Everywhere
Sermon by Pr. Sharai Jacob on Saturday, January 6 + Epiphany of Our Lord
My family moved from South Africa to America in 2007. When my father asked me where in the US I thought we should move, I told him I wanted to go somewhere with lots of snow! So we moved to Minnesota! It was summer when we moved, and it was beautiful. But I still missed South Africa, I missed my home. Not just the connectedness of our culture, but my community, my family.
Before we started school in a new country, my mother told my older brother and I that we were on an adventure. She said that just like in the Hobbit, the Chronicles of Narnia, or Harry Potter, adventures can be both exciting and scary. She reminded us that when things got difficult we could always lean on each other and that Jesus was always with us. When summer ended and school started, I faced the perils of being asked to represent an entire continent, feeling pressured to speak with a different accent, of having to prove that I was just as intelligent and capable as my peers, not in spite of my Africanness, but because of it.
What made the perils of my adventure bearable was knowing that I was not alone. I was journeying alongside my family and friends, many of whom were also immigrants and people of color. We affirmed each other and stood together even when we were told that our experiences of racism in the US were not real. We named our experiences and found healing in community. I learned that journeying together is always better than journeying alone.
Today we read about the Magi on their Journey to find Jesus. Usually when we hear about the magi they are talked about as being a group of three men. The three wise men, the three kings. But our scripture today doesn’t tell us how many magi were on the journey - just that they journeyed together. It also doesn't really say that they were all men. So we could picture a whole caravan of people - Magi of any gender, with their families and friends. I imagine they supported each other on their journey. It makes me think of the stories some of you told me when I asked about how you’ve experienced HTLoop. Some of you told me that you were here from the start, some of you joined a little later, but all of you mentioned that you felt a sense of community here- that people here are open and connected. Just like the Magi, you are journeying together.
In today’s scripture, when Herod heard that our caravan of Magi arrived in jerusalem asking about the child who was born King of the Jews. Herod and all of Jerusalem trembled! I imagine that Herod and all of Jerusalem saw the hope that this caravan of people carried with them and witnessed the power of a new King. Herod witnessed this power and trembled because he was afraid to lose his own power. But the Magi boldly approached Mary and knelt before Jesus and were overwhelmed with joy. They saw Jesus for the King he truly is - a King who brings hope, Grace, and freedom for all of creation.
As we journey together, we face the perils of the world around us, and even the perils that appear from within us. The Magi faced peril as they were warned in a dream to steer clear of Herod on their way home. The Holy Family faced peril immediately after our scripture today, when Herod’s fear of losing his power fueled his rage and he murdered all of the baby boys under two years old in and around Bethlehem. Maybe you imagine how horrified the Magi felt when word of what Herod did reached them on the road home. Or you might see a shadow of your own struggles in Herod’s face. Do you also hear an echo of Palestinian cries in the story of those baby boys in Bethlehem?
When we think of a journey or an adventure, we don’t always anticipate how hard, how terrible the journey can become. Part of what it means to recognize Hope in Christ is to recognize that the journey is difficult. When we accept our fear, our disappointment, our anger, our pain - we still participate in Epiphany. Not by trying to cover up the hard things, but by recognizing that we are not alone on this journey. God is here. With us. In ways that are tangible and practical, like through the caring actions of others. But God is also with us in ways that are intangible and difficult to fully grasp, like a sudden feeling of peace as you reach out to God in prayer.
Epiphany is not simply something we journey towards, but something we participate in every day. Jesus is revealed to us moment by moment, whether we’re paying attention or not. In our deepest despair, we are not alone. In our lowest failure, we are held. In our greatest triumph we celebrate in the presence of God. As you continue on your journeys, I encourage you to search for those moments of Epiphany. To embark on the journey with each other and with God.
