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January 06, 2008

Following the Star

The Feast of the Epiphany, on January 6, commemorates the arrival of the Three Wise Men, or Magi, at the Manger after following the star that guided them across the East. Since the Wise Men were Gentiles, or non-Jews, the church sees them as symbols that Christ came for all people. The text for Epiphany is Matthew 2: 1-12. Take a look at the passage and see how vague it is: nowhere does it say there are three magi, or that they are Three Kings. They are only “wise men from the East” following a star. It does say, however, that when they saw the baby they were “overwhelmed with joy.” I think this says it all. If we follow the star, we are led to joy in seeing Christ, and are inspired to share the Good News out in the world.

I find Epiphany a charming season because there is so much tradition around it that is not strictly biblical. Clearly people throughout the ages have connected with this story because it is so mysterious and exotic. The gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, which do appear in the scriptures, are symbolic. Gold is for Christ’s kingship, frankincense, an incense, signifies Christ’s priestly role for us, and myrrh, an embalming spice, signifies Christ’s sacrificial death. In the ninth century, the Wise Men acquired names: Balthazar, Caspar, Melchior. There is also a tradition that one of the Wise Men was an astrologer who came from China! For more information on the Wise Men, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi.

One of my favorite non-Biblical Epiphany stories is The Other Wise Man, by Henry van Dyke. It is a beautiful story written in the 19th century about a fictional fourth wise man, named Artaban, who is separated from the other three along the journey, and searches for the King for 33 years. Along the journey, he gives away his treasure to serve others, and in the process finally does find the Lord. You can find copies on Amazon:

In many Latin countries, Epiphany is celebrated as much as Christmas in our culture. Children in Mexico put their shoes outside the front door with straw in them to feed the camels of the Magi, and in return, receive gold coins or candy. In England, the Epiphany is also known as the Twelfth Night, and marks the last day of the Christmas Season or “the Twelve Days of Christmas,” (hence the Christmas Carol everyone loves to hate.)

The Season of Epiphany (January 6 – February 3) is shorter this time around because Easter, a moveable feast linked to the phases of the moon, is very early this year. The time between Christmas and Easter is compressed to keep Lent, the season which comes before Easter, its usual length.

The mood of the Season of Epiphany is centered on the Light of Christ shining out into the world. Christmas/Epiphany is nicely sandwiched between the quiet, introspective season of Advent and Lent. Baptism is a major theme of the season, as January 6 is one of the traditional days on the church calendar for baptism, and the next Sunday is known as The Baptism of our Lord.

Blessings.
Beth Foote