This article was written by Fr. Daniel London for the January 2021 Chronicle newsletter for Christ Church Eureka, after the Feast Day of the Epiphany.
“…they left for their own country by another road” (Matthew 2:12)
Wednesday January 6th was the Feast of the Epiphany and unfortunately it was an Epiphany which will live in infamy because of the violent rioters who stormed the US Capitol. Epiphany is about revealing, unveiling, and illuminating a truth that is already there. During Epiphany, the church celebrates three great Illuminations: the Star of Bethlehem which illuminated the location of the Christ child for the Magi,[1] the divine voice that revealed the belovedness of Christ at his baptism, and the miracle at the Wedding in Cana which unveiled Christ’s radiant glory.
Last Sunday, Archdeacon Pam read about this first Illumination –the Star of Bethlehem—from the Gospel of Matthew, which is the same Gospel passage read on the Feast of the Epiphany (Matthew 2:1-12). I believe this beloved story of the wise men can offers us some helpful (ahem) “wisdom” during this troubling time in our nation’s history. The wise men were led by the Star of Bethlehem to Jerusalem and eventually to the place of Jesus’s birth, where they paid homage to the newly born “King of the Jews.” On the way, they met with King Herod who asked them to inform him of the young king’s location so that he too could pay him homage. The magi may have initially felt honored to be in Herod’s company since the king was well known for constructing impressive walls, buildings, temples, and fortresses. However, the magi were far too wise to fall prey to Herod’s twisted duplicity. They saw straight through the superficial sweet talking of this tyrant. Underneath all the glitter and gold, the magi saw a profoundly insecure, narcissistic, and violent despot who felt threatened by a baby.
After the great light in the night sky showed them to Jesus, another divine light appeared to the magi in their dreams, illuminating to them what they had already felt to be true: the monstrous behavior of King Herod. They realized that returning to Herod with information about Christ’s location would likely jeopardize the safety and wellbeing of the Holy Family.They were right because, according to Matthew’s Gospel (2:16-18), Herod grew furiously unhinged and ordered his henchman to commit atrocious acts of violence that resulted in the tragic death of hundreds of young children.[2] The magi were wise enough to keep their distance from this despot and to leave “for their own country by another road.”
The despicable behavior of King Herod, who murdered the Holy Innocents, did not diminish his legacy; it illuminated it. Similarly, a friend and professor of theology at St. Louis University Grant Kaplan said, “The storming of the Capitol [on the Feast of the Epiphany] does not at all diminish Trump’s legacy; it illuminates it.” Now let me be clear that I love and respect many Republicans and many people who voted for Trump, but I believe we have all been given a disturbing Epiphany that makes it clear that this president is unstable and is not to be trusted.
And I believe that the wisdom of the wise men urges us now to keep our distance from this president and all his enablers; and to return to the America we know and love by another road; not the road of division, conspiracy theories, and selfishness, but the difficult yet fruitful road of unity, facts, and compassion. By walking together in this way of love, we will be guided by God’s bright Epiphany light towards healing and wholeness.
Prayer for Epiphany 2021
O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; lead us, like the Magi, away from the violence and duplicity of tyrants like King Herod; and to the country we know and love by another road, the road of unity and compassion; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
[1] Many suggest that the “Star of Bethlehem” was the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter which was visible to us in the night sky during December 2020, but was even more visible in the sky around the time of Christ’s birth when Saturn and Jupiter aligned even more closely, according to extra-biblical ancient texts.
[2] The church remembers these children and their tragic death on December 28th, the Feast of Holy Innocents.
DANIEL DeFOREST LONDON 