Thursday, January 6
Thought and Prayer of the Day
by Mother Jennifer
“They went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.”
Although we celebrated it early as a church community on Sunday, today is the actual feast of Epiphany — coming exactly 12 days after Christmas.
When we think of this great feast day of the church, the first thought in many of our minds is usually the wise men and the star they followed. The light that shined over the manager led them to Jesus – the one we know and proclaim is the true light of the world.
Yet, in my imagining of this visit — and in fact in most of the images that exist of the Wise men’s visit to the infant Jesus —it appears that they travelled at night. For other than the sun, our brightest star, it would be very hard, if not impossible, to track a star in the daylight.
Yet to walk at night and sleep during the day seems a reverse of human nature. To travel thousands of miles anywhere at night – especially during the time prior to paved highway systems — is fraught with extra danger. Walking by night, it is much easier to stumble and fall. It would take extra courage, strong will and a strong conviction that the journey in the darkness was worth it. In this scenario, the Wise Men calculated the risks and knew that there are indeed times where we must all walk through darkness to find what it is that we are looking for.
The other option was that Wise Men mapped the star out at night and using their best calculations travelled by day in hopes that by sundown they would find that they were indeed still on the right path for yet another day. In this scenario they looked to the heavens for guidance and then used the best of their abilities to chart their own course; Constantly looking up again at the end of the day to ensure they were on the right track. This too would have required faith and conviction.
Realistically, they probably travelled in both darkness and light at various points along the journey, for days or even months.
In our world right now, it seems as though we also are walking in both light and darkness. There are some things that are clear as we enter into a new wave of the pandemic – and many things that are unknown and uncertain.
Yet we must keep walking on in faith and keep looking up to the heavens for guidance, trusting in God who makes manifest his love and guidance in myriad ways. We have a Lord who knows both light and darkness and offers us hope in both.
Prayer:
Gracious and all loving God
you call to us across deep waters and dark places.
Yours is the light which guides us
and the voice which we follow.
We pray that you would reveal yourself to us as we worship you.
May those without hope be encouraged;
those who are sad, cheered;
those who are seeking, find you;
and may all things be adding to our will.
In the name of your beloved Son we pray. Amen.
Written by Rev. Richard J. Fairchild.
