Creation Care - Epiphany
The Gospel of John begins: “And the Word was made flesh and dwells among us”.
In the first Letter of John, it is proclaimed: “What existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we observed and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life!” (1 Jn 1:1),
Christianity is an incarnate religion. We are called with our senses, to see, hear, taste, smell, and touch.
So, what does this have to do with The Magi? These men were highly trained in the art and science of observation. Theirs is a story of attention and awareness. Seeing a brightly shining star in the east, the wiseman traveled across rugged terrain to see the newborn lying in the manger. Once they saw, they did not return to their homeland by the same route but traveled in a new direction. The story symbolizes the heart of epiphany: once we see, we are no longer the same and can no longer travel by the same route. We see everything from a new perspective.
For the Magi to have continued on the same path would have surely led them into peril. We are the eyes, ears and hands of God here on Earth. Pope Francis from his encyclical Laudato Si’ says “We are at a crossroads in our journey as planetary citizens. We are being called to divert from a business-as-usual approach to our endeavors”.
Don’t be complacent. There is much wonder to explore on our new journey. Keep your senses alive. See the star burning in the night.
Tags: Creation Care