The Epiphany of Liberation

                                             

It is the Season of Epiphany--- a season that often gets overlooked during the weeks between Christmas and Lent.  But Epiphany is not only worth keeping, it's vital for those of us who call ourselves Christians. 

The reason is quite simple:  Epiphany is a time when we are reminded that there is more of God in the world than we thought possible.  And sisters and brothers... we need to be reminded of this.  

I've been thinking a lot about the implications of approaching Epiphany as a startling, wonder-filled season within which we are given the opportunity to be transformed by our wonder, made new by a startling and imminent God.  

In other words, I've been trying to figure out what Epiphany means to me.  And, to put it bluntly, I  have come to connect Epiphany with liberation.  Let me explain.  

Far too many of us are trapped in endless cycles of doing, proving, succeeding, achieving...  

We carry around the burdens of our own expectations as well as the expectations of others, and we believe that somehow it's of vital importance that we never set them down.  

We worry that if we did set these burdens down, we might discover that we don't know who we are without them.  I  read this wonderful poem recently by Tiffany Aurora that sums up a different way of seeing our burdens:  

Maybe ourburdensnever really mean toburden us---& we are just supposedto learn how tolet them go 

One of the most startling aspects of Epiphany is the fact that God comes to us even when we are ignorant of God.  God comes to us when we believe that God would never deign to live and breathe at our level.  

And when God comes, God bids us to let go of what was in order to embrace what is to come.  God calls us to the amazing, wonder-filled freedom that marks God's future plans and purpose for us.  

So live today into the hope of that future, and let those burdens slide to the floor.  You don't need to carry them any longer.  

And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen.