A Personal Epiphany

Yesterday was Epiphany, celebrating that “When Jesus was born… wise men from the East came… and the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was” (Matthew 2:1-9).  Two aspects of this struck me.  One:  Jesus was born for people of all ethnicities and cultures, and I’m thankful that the Church designates one Sunday each year to remind us of that important point.  Two: God guided these non-Israelites by a star.  The Israelites didn’t even notice the star, yet for these wise men from the East, the star meant that the ”King of the Jews” had been born.  What a strange paradox!  And yet not so strange.  People of different cultures often have different ways of understanding things, and God knows that.  God reached out to these Easterners in a way that made sense to them.  And that led me to pray that God would help me find “stars” too, that God would help me find ways of communicating with those who are from a different culture.  I know that means I need to listen to the Holy Spirit whispering in my ear, and also listen to what matters to my neighbors.  If one friend is into Marvel Comics and another is into gardening, I need to describe Jesus in very different metaphors.  And if one of my coworkers is from a different part of the world or a different religion, I need to be especially careful and creative.  What a great challenge!  God wants all kinds of people to find Jesus, and we can play a part in God’s sensitive and creative invitations.  Ask God to show you some stars, and let me know what happens.