A season of 'Yes'...
The eve of Epiphany
So much has happened - it feels like the first 'yes' was years ago.
The angel visits in daylight and dreams. A young woman was pregnant, and her betrothed resolved to remain by her side.
They knew this would be a challenge and a blessing from the start. Required to travel a distance too long to comprehend, they entered Bethlehem with countless others to be registered in a census dictated by foreign leaders. The birth occurred in a simple stable.
And they became a family.
A baby was born, already filled with history and wisdom. He was their first, yet both mother and husband understood that this child was destined to move beyond them - destined to make sacred imprints on all creation.
That first “yes” continued to reveal its definition. Visitors entered the small stable - strangers coming to give thanks for this holy baby. These visitors were awed by his presence, their spirits swelling with gratitude and hope. They entered from outside the city, people seen as less worthy by society's standards - shepherds by trade with a willingness to believe in miracles.
Others entered from lands far away, following the sky's direction as their own faith tradition revealed. Wise and holy, they brought gifts telling the story of things to come. This baby came with purpose and compassion. He would grow willing to offer his all to heal a broken world.
There was little time to enjoy the comfort of the makeshift home. A dream and an angel's visit stirred Joseph's heart. Danger surrounded them. His newborn's life was already at risk. The king, feeling threatened by the news of this birth, professed to be greater than earthly rulers and threatened the life of any firstborn.
Another “yes,” which now required unbound trust. Joseph gathered his family to begin another journey, this one with a distance even more difficult to imagine. They left the country and walked toward Egypt.
It was a season of “yes'’ - each one bringing challenge and obedience. Mary and Joseph found themselves in a foreign land with a newborn baby.
The painting by Luc Olivier Merson reveals human needs in this holy family. Exhausted and displaced, they find rest in the arms of Egypt's strength.
Look closely. Does this image ring familiar? We might see a resemblance to our own faith journeys—you know, the ones filled with moments of “yes” requiring a willingness to take risks outside of our circle of comfort.
The spread of God's good news is filled with unfamiliar places, places in great need of light and promise.