Aha Moments

Isaiah 60:1-6

Matthew 2:1-12

 “Aha Moments”

03 January 2016 St. Andrew’s Military Chapel Singapore

Frequently, between all the prayers to God to lessen the heat and humidity just a little to give me a break while I’m running or amidst the pleas for the wind and rain to ease up ever so slightly while I’m riding my bike near the airport, something important will pop into my head. Typically, this is my brain figuring out a problem that I’ve been contemplating with for a while or a brilliant idea to do something better or easier. Many times it’s the most amazing idea for a sermon illustration. Unfortunately, this rarely happens when I have easy access to my phone to type in or paper and pen to write down the brilliance I discover in those moments, so I’m always struggling for ways to illustrate these brief moments together each week.

Back when she had her daily show, Oprah called these Aha moments. Moments where we come to a sudden, and typically significant, realization that had the potential to change our lives. Moments that inspire us to do something, to rise up and follow our hearts or minds. Moments that lead to action and maybe even inspire others. This is what we typically envision when we hear the word epiphany and many of us use epiphany in place of aha moments when describing these instances of sudden discovery.

But, this fails to account for the full weight of the word epiphany. Sometimes it takes years for us to reach that moment. What we determine to be a spontaneous and instantaneous discovery frequently is the result of smaller discoveries along the way. An epiphany can be the final realization of the direction we have been on for a long time, its just the moment we took the time to stop and look around at our surroundings and the path on which we have blazed.

Isaiah tells us that we need to do things to receive the aha moment. Most relevant to us today we need to look up from our cell phones and look around in order for us to see and be radiant. We need to look at the world around to find our place in it. And maybe this is our epiphany, that there is a glorious place in the world for us to live and radiate our faith to the world. Our frankincense, gold, and myrrh are our lives radiating the love of God to the world.

Matthew describes the long and treacherous journey of the Magi. I highly doubt they saw a new star, comet, whatever, dropped what they were doing and headed in that direction. These were learned men of the science of their day. They were looking up at the world and noticed something different and odd, something that didn’t fit their expectations. So, they investigated this celestial event and it still didn’t make any sense to them so they knew it had to be important. These men weren’t Jewish, but knew the Jewish prophecies and knew it bore further investigation, so they sojourned West.

I expect they anticipated a new and friendly ruler had come to power in a foreign land and wanted to bring gifts and arrange a peace. Something we still do to this day when a country finds itself with new and unexpected leadership. So they go to the seat of power and ask where the new king resides. I don’t think they expected to find Herod in the palace, for I’m confident that as they journeyed to Jerusalem they read and re-read the prophecies of people like Isaiah and it convinced them they were seeking a new and different king.

Whatever doubts they may have held were wiped away when an angel warned them to return home by another way and blow off Herod, helping Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to escape to Egypt. Over time, God revealed his plan for the Magi that was put into stark focus through their visiting the infant king and the angelic visit afterwards.

It is fitting for us to read passages such as this at the beginning of a new year. Many of us made resolutions on Thursday night or Friday morning. Some of those may already lie in the trash heap. But, the epiphany of Christ isn’t some cheap resolution. Rather it is a renewed call on our lives.

Epiphany and calling are closely intertwined. Individually, we have an epiphany when we finally realize God’s call on our lives. It energizes us and we become focused on God’s plan for us. Collectively, we become excited when we see a sister in Christ experience an epiphany and are inspired to help her and support her. We are reminded of our own moment or we are given hope that that moment is yet to come.

As we begin a new calendar year with a fresh slate, let us remember that we all have been granted a fresh slate with Christ each and every day. Assured of this through Scripture, and our faith, let us look to make our call and active one, just as the verbs in these passages implore us. Arise, shine, lift your eyes, see, be radiant, go, search, pay homage, stop, offer, alternate routes.

So as we turn the page on a new year, let us not make trite resolutions, but rather let us commit to living the verbs of Scripture. Arise from our slumber, our ruts, our own worry, whatever is keeping us down, keeping us sitting when we should be walking. Shine the light of Christ in the world, find the dark and let the light in for the darkness can never overcome the light. Lift our eyes from the world so that we can truly see the world as God created, so we can see Christ at work all around. Be radiant in the love of Christ so that warmth attracts like a fire on a cold winter day and the sparks ignite warmth wherever we trod.

Go! Rarely is sitting around the right answer. Doing nothing is usually a poor choice to trying to do the right thing and failing. Search for places where our calling is needed. Pay homage to Christ not just here in the building, or our prayer or study life, but through every aspect of our lives. Stop and smell the roses, take a Sabbath to rest and feed our souls so that we can do the work to which we are called. Offer ourselves to Christ in everything we do, to everyone we meet. We can’t live for ourselves. Alternate our route because taking the road less traveled will make all the difference.