Are You Expecting an Epiphany?
epiphany: noun, a divine manifestation; a sudden realization or revelation of the deeper essence or meaning of something.
(The Day of) Epiphany in the liturgical sense refers to the Wise Men visiting baby Jesus, denoted as January 6 on the calendar (the twelfth day of Christmas). Most western countries and Christians don’t celebrate, recognize, or even realize there is such a holy day. When we use the word, we usually mean it in an ah-ha moment of illumination or whole-picture deeper meaning. Ohhhh, now we get it.
Last year I declared Epiphany as the day I take down the Christmas decorations. In part because I don’t fully begin to slow down enough to absorb the tree and other items until after the frenzy of December 25 is past. It’s in the aftermath of the holidays that I truly appreciate the twinkling lights on the tree and elsewhere. And yeah, it’s in part due to delay; I don’t like taking apart what took so long to get in place. It’s anti-climactic, a bit too much labor, and a wee bit sad too. Goodbye, and back to the attic you go until after Thanksgiving. (And tree lights, could you guys manage not to stop working sometime between now and then? I never understand how working lights going up to the attic, carefully, come down, carefully, from the attic not working.) Declaring a certain day to dismantle everything and pairing it with a day of heightened meaning makes the work less work-like and more ceremonial.
But I want, no, I expect this year’s Day of Epiphany to be one that I acknowledge and feel in my faith and experience in the philosophical sense, too. I am searching for the divine in the ordinary. Not in a looking-for-Jesus-in-the-cereal-bowl sort of way (and not posting a photo on Facebook if I happen to see a likeness there). Not in a “Let’s elevate the everyday to the sacred” way either.
I want an electrifying epiphany that knocks the blinders off my eyes and opens up new realities that seem incomprehensible, unfathomable, impossible today. OK, yeah, that’s asking a lot, right? But what if that’s why we don’t manifest epiphanies of miracle proportion as often as we should (or ever)? We don’t ask for or expect better. We don’t believe. We’re skeptics and scoffers and scorners. We’ve stopped asking big-picture questions ’cause we never feel like we get that last, crucial puzzle piece that would make the big picture make sense. We try to quieten our intuition because we don’t trust we have what we need to listen and heed its advice. (Our intuition still whispers to us, and we choose to ignore it at our own peril.)
What if you went to bed tonight, expecting to have an epiphany when you wake up? What might you dream or God nudge in your heart that could open your eyes to new visions the next morning? And what if you realized that sometimes you have to make the journey for the epiphany to take place? After all, the Wise Men knew Jesus wouldn’t come to them; they made the trip to discover him. And they made the trip believing they would find the divine manifestation—why else would they have toted those heavy gifts all that way?
Here’s my challenge to you and me: Start believing in miracle-size epiphanies; sometimes they’ll just appear, literally or philosophically. And start seeking them—look for the star and dare to set out after it. In doing so, we may make and meet the most glorious discoveries this side of eternity.
Emily-Sarah,
I love Epiphany as well! For the last few years, I’ve been celebrating the Holy Nights with various degrees of reflection, journaling and dreamwork. The days after Christmas, when some of the hubbub has passed, seem espeically ripe for quiet contemplation. (As much as one can manage!)
And for me, the inner effort it takes to make the time and space for reflection and journaling is the practice.
In our house, the tree came down this weekend, but the creche is still up. (The wise men just got there after all!) I’ll put that away after dinner tonight (which we’ll finish with a king cake,) and then Christmas will officially be over…
I needed to read this and I sooooo want to believe it and I really want that miraculous ephiphany but what if you have no money to make a journey and no energy and no time? I spend part of my days feeling stuck and I want an epiphany of what to do, how to change things, but when there are so many obstacles, it seems like I’m so deep in debt and depression than even if I experienced an epiphany it wouldn’t really go anywhere. I guess I’m asking for help on how to find one and really get it to make a difference to/for me.
Re: “look for the star and dare to set out after it.” I love this. I make too many resolutions that I break almost immediately, and somehow taking active steps, maybe even literal steps, to discover an epiphany or move closer to one I’ve already spied far away sounds wonderful. And doable. Thanks!
That’s my favorite line too about “look for the star and dare to set out after it.” I think of epiphanies as being completely beyond my control but you have me thinking about how there are ways to encourage them. We have an active part too.
@Liz, that sounds lovely with how you celebrate and contemplate Holy Nights! And how cool to end the Twelve Days of Christmas/Epiphany with a king cake. I may have to copy you on that one next year!
@Ruth, sometimes when we’re the most stuck is when epiphanies are looming. And “surrendering”versus feeling “resigned” to a sticky situation may bring about clarity too. Or at least a new perspective (which may lend itself to life-changing happenings). … Keep me posted.
@Barbara and @Dave, yes, epiphanies aren’t always “out there”; sometimes they’re “in here,” in us — and do require us to be proactive (if only by changing our mindset).
Thanks everybody! I always enjoy hearing from you all.
That’s great about the holy nights and I think maybe I’ll start leaving my decorations out until January 6 next year. I usually put them away on New Year’s Day. I never enjoy it!!!!! Maybe this will make it less like work?! As far as epiphanies, I like what you said about setting out after it like the star, but I have never tried to have an epiphany or thought that was possible. It seems either it comes to me or it doesn’t. Exactly how would you say you’d be “proactive’ other than changing our minds? I’m drawing a blank!
@Sandy, I firmly believe it has to start in the mind. Everything begins with a thought … and so if we can shift our mindset from the negative/disbelief even to the *idea* of what is possible, that opens the door for an entirely new flow chart of thinking. Once you lay the foundation of “belief,” you allow your mind to glob on to facts to support the positive (as opposed of thinking it’s impossible and your brain searching — and finding — things to tick off to support THAT negative belief). Once you go with an expansive positive intention, you may start contemplating all sorts of new things. And that, I think, is a healthy framework and foundation that encourages and supports more epiphanies. Maybe not miracle-sized ones, but baby ones (that may lead to bigger, grander “ah-ha” happenings).