Beloved Friends-
By the time you read this it will be the day after the Feast of the Epiphany- the day we mark on our church calendars when we commemorate the visit of the magi to the newborn to the Christ Child. It will also be the day after the 1-year anniversary since we collectively witnessed, with equal parts incredulity, abhorrence and heartbreak , the insurrection that took place at our nation’s Capital. Two completely different events- perhaps even spanning diametrically opposed ends of a spectrum; on the one hand a moment marking the in-breaking of the God of Love and Peace incarnate while on the other end the tragic ripping of our very fragile fabric of democracy and decency.
I suspect you can remember as well as I can how horrified I was watching and wondering how could this possibly be happening in our country? Commentator after commentator likened this to a “banana republic” activity common in other places in the world but certainly not here and not now. Over the past year and especially during this time as the House investigating committee prepares to begin public hearings we have all been invited to relive the violence perpetuated that day again and again.
As utterly tragic as that event, as well as the rally leading up to it no doubt was, should we be surprised that we have come to this? Sadly, I am not. We are still a nation utterly and terribly divided; we have lost the ability to engage in civil discourse; we have forgotten that growth and transformation of people and ideas often come from creative tension and the art of engaged persuasion; we have stopped seeing and respecting the value and dignity of every human being. We have lost our collective way of being civil.
So where do we go from here?
How can we walk the fine line of staying engaged while not sinking into despair? What can our faith teach us or help us understand as we struggle to make sense of this painful time? One possibility is to cling tightly to the narrative we are offered every week in scripture and in community- not as a lackadaisical antidote numbing us from this painful reality, but as a lifeline that just may inspire and support and challenge us as a community of faith.
This Sunday, January 9th we will celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany and through our gospel reading in Matthew we will be invited to consider this spectrum of choices in our lives as we travel with the Magi and kneel in front of the King of Peace as a tender baby. When we are done offering our gifts we will leave and make our way home, and when we do we will ask ourselves which road we will travel and how will we make our way.
As we continue to move into this new year, may we find ways to come together to listen and learn from and with each other ushering in the kin-ship of heaven here and now. I’m grateful for being on this journey together.
May you never forget that you are loved.
Lisa