Rev. Tara Barber
The Community Church of Sebastopol
January 5, 2003
Isaiah 60: 1-6
Today we celebrate Epiphany. It is the day that those astrologers of old saw a new star in the east, and as the story goes, followed it to find Jesus. This morning’s scriptures are from the prophet Isaiah, and are the roots of this familiar Christmas story. Epiphany means appearance in Greek, and I believe that epiphanies are like ‘a-ha’ moments, when light or new insights appear. Listen for the word of God. Read Isaiah 60:1-6
“I’m almost always looking for the light. I already did the dark night of the soul. It took me seven years. Maybe closer to ten. I had to learn both dark and light, both death and life. So now I’m almost always looking for the light. I reflect on it daily. Does it reflect in me? Could be. I have high hopes.” These words are from the book Soulwork by Bettyclare Moffatt, and they could easily be my own. I can’t say that I look for the sunlight as often as I did when I lived in Seattle, but I still look for the light of hope all the time.
The images of this season - light and darkness - are vivid, and the words ‘Arise, Your Light is Come,’ startle us and call us to examine both the light and the dark in our lives and in ourselves. Who here has not glimpsed the dark side? We have some fans of the battle between light and dark here – we filled the movie theatre for Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings last year. A hundred of you came out again this year for more Harry Potter and now the second installment of Lord of the Rings had 75 of us in the theatre yesterday. I went, too, hoping to find some inspiration, looking for a story that would bridge the years between Isaiah and today. I went looking for the light. Maybe it was asking too much of Hollywood.
I did find amazing, incredible images of light and dark in this movie. The elves spoke of a time so dark that not even a star could brighten the depth of darkness. And hope – hope that somehow, the good would triumph and lives would not be lost in vain. Then came Gandalf the White – a good wizard for those who don’t know – and much more advanced in years than Harry Potter. At one point in the movie, Gandalf says to his human friend, to look for him in the east at dawn. A light in the east? That sure sounded like scripture to me. So, I watched, and I waited for that dawn to appear. I hoped and even prayed a little that Gandalf would bring good news of great joy for all the people – and elves, and dwarves, etc. After a long night of horrible, bloody fighting, the dawn broke, and as the light came over the hills in the east, Gandalf appeared. I took a deep breath, and let it out sharply. Gandalf appeared all right. He did come as promised. He came with an army. An army!?! The crowds cheer – (that’s us in the audience). But I am left with a sick feeling in my stomach. I was so hoping that Gandalf would bring something new. Some new way of dealing with the violence. Gandalf is a wizard after all, and I had hoped that he could come up with an alternative to war. Because in the story I know, the light in the east leads the wise to the prince of peace; a baby, not what anyone expected. The light in the east led to God incarnate. To love, and peace, and hope, and faith. A new way of responding to what the world offers.
The Lord of the Rings is a brilliant story. Brilliant because it speaks of real life. Of struggles with evil and power and fear, set against incredible beauty and hope. We lose our way, however, when we only identify with the good guys. When we see ourselves as the small, innocent, humans (and elves), and believe that the evil resides wholly in the other guys. It is much more black and white in this story than it ever is in the world. And that is what scares me. I am sure that when or if the Lord of the Rings was shown across the planet, the people in Yemen, Pakistan, North Korea, and Afghanistan would see themselves reflected in the good humans, too.
Gandalf didn’t bring anything new when he came in the east with an army. But your light has come. And it brings hope that there is another way to change the world; a way of love and justice and creativity, not simply more violence. Your light burns from the creator of the universe, and your light is come.
Arise. Your light is come. ‘Lift up your eyes and look around… Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice…’ God is shining through you, and calling you to follow the light ahead. Let God’s epiphany guide you, and do not be afraid.
You have been called, by the prophet Isaiah, by the star in the east, by Jesus who showed the world a new way of living; you have been called by God to rise up, shine, and share your most precious gifts of love-in-action, with the world.
Bettyclare Moffatt says it this way: “Our task is to affirm our own energy, our own God identity, to use the gifts of the heart, the hands and the spirit within, in the best way we know at the present moment. Then comes the flow of light into our lives…as we turn to God, who is always and forever turned toward us.”
God turned toward us. Emmanuel. Jesus the Christ, the light of the world shines through you. And this light is the only light that will bring good news of great joy to all the people. Follow this light, be this light. Risk bringing your great gifts to this world that needs no more armies.