Epiphany
Jeremiah
31:7-14
John
1
“To be in the Spotlight”
I was first introduced to the magic of Broadway as a
child when my family moved up to CT from TX.
I am pretty sure my first show was Annie, and I feel like I have been
hooked ever since. The costumes, the
sets, the music, the dancing, the lights, it is all so captivating, so
enchanting, so, did I already say, so magical?.
Although I have not yet taken my own children to a Broadway show, I am
introducing them to the theater through the children’s shows in
Morristown. As it is time for the show to
begin, the lights dim, the room silences, the curtains draw, and a spotlight
will often pinpoint one particular character as the show begins.
The spotlight is a powerful thing. It shines itself upon the center of the show,
highlighting what is essential, the significant character, the one that your
attention is supposed to be drawn towards.
Have you ever been driving at night and suddenly noticed a spotlight
shining up in the sky? Businesses will
use this tactic for a grand opening or some sort of big event. For miles around, the light can be seen
shining up into the sky, making people wonder, what am I missing? What is happening? What event is this? And perhaps a very curious few will make it
their mission to go on an adventure to find out where the light is
shining.
To be in the spotlight means the attention is upon
you. During my studies, this is one of
the key things I have remembered about the Gospel of John: read the Gospel of
John as if it is a theatrical show. Pay
attention to where the light is shining.
The Gospel writer uses light as if it were a spotlight, placing the key
character in its embrace. Just as a show
begins, the lights dim and it is dark and then, the spotlight breaks through
the darkness, capturing the main character of the show, bringing the entire
audiences eyes to one place and one person.
Darkness and Light. Anytime you
read a passage from the Gospel of John, pay attention to these two things, darkness
and light.
In these opening verses of John, the writer proclaims: the light shines in the darkness and the
darkness does not overcome it. Words of
hope, right from the start. And yet, the
Gospel writer holds off on revealing this main character’s name. A second person, John the Baptist, is named
first. We get hints, we get clues, we
get this rich creation story of God bringing forth life through the Word. The
Gospel writer is playful, he is drawing the reader in, he is creating tension
because the world has such a hard time seeing, even when the light is shining directly
on the key player of the story. And yet,
the world did not know him.
I can just visualize the opening of this Broadway
show. Complete darkness, and then, a
piercing light, shining, but shining upon nothing. And then another light softly exposing John
the Baptist, over on stage left who is pointing to the light. Pointing to the light, and perhaps shadows of
other people, such as Moses, flicker through the spotlight, and then, then,
with our modern technology, words splash around the darkness such as: love,
joy, peace, grace, and merge together in the spotlight reveling the manger
scene, as the Word becomes flesh. Eighteen
verses later, the light that has been shining can now reveal the Son of God
born into this world as Jesus Christ. But
even through the entire Gospel story, with all the emphasis on Jesus by placing
him in the spotlight, there will still be those who do not know him. There will still be those that choose the
darkness instead of the light. There
will still be those that cannot embrace the love, joy, peace, and grace of
God.
And so
we continue to tell the story. And God
continues to shine the spotlight through the darkness because the darkness
cannot overcome it. We have just
journeyed through the Advent and Christmas Season where we have symbolically
remembered the light as the four Advent candles were lit representing more and
more light shining into God’s world. And
life outside of the church walls glisten as people adorn their homes with light
after light after light. Today is what
we call Epiphany Sunday, and is often connected to the Three Kings that
followed the light of the new star in the sky.
Epiphany: when God’s love extends out into the greater world and
strangers, foreigners, Gentiles, and outsiders are invited in and join the
story. Epiphany: taking the joy of the
Christmas season and extending it into our daily living, focusing the spotlight
of our beings to shine God’s love and goodness into this world in which we
live. Epiphany: when the light bulb comes
on and we say to ourselves – I get it.
God’s spotlight is a powerful thing. It draws foreign Magi to search for this new
born king. It causes King Herod to
tremble in fear. It stops shepherds in
their tracks. It calls people to foreign
lands to use their resources and skills to open schools and medical facilities,
to teach and heal the sick. God’s
spotlight calls people in Morris County to feed the hungry, house the homeless,
and share the Christmas Spirit through the giving of gifts to children that are
living on the fringes. God’s spotlight
calls us to pray for each other, to cry together, to laugh together, to gather together as faith communities, to be
a people of God that embraces God’s love through Jesus Christ and shares that
love with the greater world.
Where
do you see God’s spotlight in your life?
What is God calling you to? Just
as the Magi saw this star in the sky, and they embarked on a journey to find
the new born king, we too are on a journey.
As a congregation, you have discerned that you are ready to engage where
God is calling you in the greater community, whether it be through Habitat for
Humanity or Succa Sunny days or other town events. Some of you may have amazing stories of where
your journey has taken you and how the source of God’s light has given your
life deep meaning and purpose. Some of
you may just be embarking on this journey.
But together, we are here in this place, to learn from each other, to
grow together, to share, and to embrace the love, joy, peace, and grace that
God has granted us through the Christmas Story of the birth of Christ.
God’s
spotlight is always there, always pointing on Emmanuel, the Messiah, God with
us, whether we can see it or not.
Whether we just see the words bouncing around the stage, or John the
Baptist on stage left proclaiming the good news, or whether we are catching the
shadows of others that are called into God’s service or if we can clearly see
Jesus Christ at center stage. In and
through each and everyone of us, God’s light grows stronger and stronger and
fills the stage of life, pushing the darkness further and further away.
Epiphany: the
church of God gathering together, inviting all to be a part of the journey, and
then going out into the world, shining God’s light, even in the darkest of
places. Amen.
