Epiphany: The Light Bulb Moment

In general, epiphany means to bring to light, to elucidate and make plain. It is the quintessential lightbulb, “Aha!” moment. Most good stories have epiphany moments for their main character, where someone realizes something so profound that this knowledge has the opportunity to forever redirect their life. Oedipus realizes he fulfilled the horrible prophecy anyways. Luke realizes Darth Vader is his father (if only Luke were Lutheran…he would have known German…).

In scripture, an epiphany is all about when God makes Himself manifest. We get a peek behind the curtain. Those of us walking in darkness have the wonderful opportunity to see a great light. The scary thing about the light of God is it beckons us to follow it, not remain in our comfortable slumber in darkness. We usually treat darkness as frightening and light as warm and inviting, but every time someone encounters the unfiltered light and glory of God, either God or the angel has to say the most common command in scripture, “Do not be afraid.” Real light is scary because it challenges the darkness within each of us (cf. Isaiah 6).

In the traditional church calendar, we celebrate Epiphany at the beginning of January with the story of the Magi seeing and responding to a great light in the sky pointing the way to the “King of the Jews.” Matthew 2 records three different responses to the light in the sky: obedience and excitement of the Magi, the indifference of the Jewish leaders, and the hostility of King Herod to the idea of a rival king. As I was talking about this story with a friend, he helped me come to an uncomfortable conclusion.

There is a little bit Herod inside of me.

Now, I am not just saying that I like dark stories like “The Dark Knight,” or that I prefer playing as the “dark side of the force” in Star Wars video games. Instead, there is a selfish and paranoid king, willing to do anything necessary to keep control of my little kingdom. The world has repeatedly taught me to “defend my castle” and that “I am the captain of my ship.” Mystical and prophetic lights in the sky, harkening in the reign of a greater ruler would be worrisome to any world ruling authority, especially me.

In short, epiphanies from God are uncomfortable because by their very nature they challenge the status quo and force us to respond. We can protest and “not go quietly into the night.” Like Herod, we can be filled with rage and fight. We can be passive and indifferent and pretend the light pollution of our noisy crowded lives drowned out any chance for epiphany like it did for the Jewish Leaders.

Or, we can be Magi. Men and women who run to the light. God’s light, each tiny epiphany awards us the opportunity for change, for new potential and possibilities. This year could be different in subtle, but important ways.