Epiphany: A Season of Seeking – by Rev. Jeffrey Tooke
The celebration of Epiphany, and the season that unfolds around it, is often centered on revelation: the revelation of God, the revelation of Jesus, and the revelation of the Christian community. Epiphany presses against the boundaries of our familiar horizons, breaking in with moments of disruption that invite us to think beyond our usual assumptions, to move beyond our normal vantage points, and to recognize that God’s self-revelation is not standing still. Revelation is ever unfolding, continually transforming creation, and transforming us, reshaping how we see ourselves, one another, and our place within the world as we live in relationship with God, our neighbor, and creation.
As we ponder the revelation set before us, we are naturally drawn into both large and small questions. Have you ever looked around and wondered how and why we exist? Have you ever questioned our place in this vast universe and reflected on what it means to be here, right now, in this moment and this place? The tentative answers that we encounter rarely settle these questions once and for all. Instead, they seem to point us toward an ongoing, ever-developing quest, an unfolding journey toward deeper understanding of ourselves and our place in this world. Epiphany invites us to keep our attention focused on what revelation teaches us about the why and how of our existence, how it shapes our understanding of meaning, and how it calls us to respond within our relationship with God, one another, and creation.
Across history, world religions and philosophical traditions have wrestled with the question of why, seeking to make sense of human existence and to articulate meaning amidst the complexities of life and living. We are invited to explore and embrace whatever gives our lives depth and purpose, whatever helps us understand why we inhabit this particular time and space, both individually and as a community. Meanwhlie, science has sought to illuminate the how of our existence, helping us to grasp the workings of the universe, from the vast number of galaxies within the universe to the intricate wonders of the microscopic world.
The Magi we encounter in the Epiphany story might be understood as representing the seeker within each of us. They symbolize generations of people who have looked at the world with curiosity searching for meaning by studying the heavens and exploring the knowledge available to them. Throughout the ages, people have lifted their eyes to the stars, pondering what they see above to better understand what they experience below, trying to make sense of the world that they saw when their gaze lowered to what they experienced around them.
So what does all of this revelation point us toward? What does this pondering of how and why ultimately teach us? First and foremost, I think it reminds us of our interconnectedness, of our shared purpose as one human family. It also helps illuminate a deeper truth: that the source of meaning is not something distant or abstract, but something that emerges within us, within our shared humanity, and within creation itself. As we consider these questions, certain fundamental truths about our unity and diversity come into focus:
- We are our siblings’ keepers.
- We are far more alike than we are different.
- We are in this together: together we live, together we survive, and together we thrive.
As we enter once more into Epiphany and the season of revelation it brings, may we have the courage to embrace both questions: how and why. May we bow at the altar of meaning that calls us to recognize our deep connection to one another and to all of creation. May we stand in awe of the wonder of our existence within a universe of countless galaxies, most of which we will never see or fully comprehend. And may we also honor the gift of science, which helps us understand how all of this has come to be, inviting us to explore both the heavens above and the microcosm below with reverenced humility and wonder.
In the end, may this season cultivate in us gratitude, curiosity, and awe, and help us to renew our commitment to nurture our relationships with God, one another, and creation.