Rev. David Boyd
 
Epiphany

As I've mentioned in the past, I've generally liked the articles that Gwynn Dyer writes; lately, I have to admit that I've found him just a bit too glib and flippant. However, I think he fundamentally misunderstands Christianity. In last week's editorial about the leader of Iran's silly comments about Christianity, Judaism and Islam, Dyer betrayed a profound lack of understanding about Christianity. The misunderstanding centred around the idea that Christianity and Jesus is only about life after death and has nothing to say about justice or about social or political transformation. Nothing could be further from the truth!

The Christmas message is not primarily about getting into heaven and looking forward to a better life after this one as Dyer claimed. The Shepherds recognized in the angels' song a social and political change about to take place; God's embodied truth was in a baby. The Magi from the East recognized in the birth of Jesus a cosmic shift and the birth of love along with a radical reversal of the last and the least becoming the first. If love isn't political and social as well as spiritual and intimate force, I don't know what is!

I read an inspiring reflection on the Isaiah passage this week in a new resource that I'm using called Feasting on the Word. This reflection is from a scholar by the name of Andrew Nagy-Benson (pages 194-198). He started off by citing a story from the memoirs of Dave Brubeck, the jazz pianist great. Apparently, on May 9th, 1961, the Dave Brubeck Quartet recorded a new piece called "Charles Matthew Hallelujah." It was written in honour of the birth of Dave's 6th child. Dave went to the studio with his band just after being at the hospital to see his new son and Iola, his wife; he sat at the piano and started playing and soon the drummer started in, as well as the saxophonist and the bassist. It was recorded on the spot, something that is pretty rare in the music world. When Iola heard it shortly afterwards, she said that it sounded like every musician was making a gift to their son. Nagy-Benson said, the Dave Brubeck Quartet "has something to teach us about the Sunday and the season of Epiphany." (Page 194.)

What they have to teach us, along with Isaiah the prophet and Matthew the Gospel writer, is that life is about celebrating abundanceÉ abundant love poured out over the worldÉ abundant resources for all to shareÉ abundant joy and blessings for all to experience. Both Isaiah and Matthew speak about generous gift-giving. The expensive ointment myrrh was given along with gold and frankincense. These were not cheap commodities and they symbolised the extravagance of grace and love. These extravagant gifts were brought to a cattle shed to mark the gift that was and is God's renewal of each life and all life. Even in the poorest of places, extravagant, abundant gifts will be given.

That is such a radical thought in any age. It is a hope that can generate political and social revolution as well as personal transformation. I believe that it can help us see a different path through this economic downturn. The message of Epiphany and the visit of the Magi tells us that God's intention is abundance and a full life. God's intention is that we share our lives together and not be about greed, corruption and everyone for him or herself. Economic policies rooted in a sense of abundance and benefit for all, and rooted in a sense of the uniqueness of each individual will work.

Even to the families of the tragedy in Sparwood, who are feeling such profound grief at the moment, that hope and promise of abundance is present. I know that there have been extravagant expressions of love and solidarity with the community of Sparwood. Our own Moderator, David Giuliano, has written to the families and community of Sparwood.

Even in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the worst of circumstances, God's promise holds true. But it requires of us a response. The responsibility of living the gospel of Jesus is just what the literal meaning of the word implies: we must be able to respond. We must be willing to respond with the gifts and abundance of our lives. The economic situation won't improve itself of its own free will. The political situations in many African countries won't solve themselves. God's promise alone won't be enough. That promise has to be lived through each of us in whatever ways we can. We have to experience the transformative power of God's light and love and then live that transformation in the worlds in which we live and move.

Every year I start out with this hope; this will be the year of radical reversal. This will be the year that the whole world will experience the extravagant gift of love that was embodied in Jesus. Every year, I begin with the feeling that we can do this; we can live responsibly in the world. We can treat others as brothers and sisters. Well, today, Epiphany Sunday, we get our annual invitation to live the transformative love of God that we experience in Jesus. As Nagy-Benson said at the end of his reflection, "the foreign rulers cross the threshold of Israel with riches. The magi cross the threshold of Bethlehem with riches. Likewise, when the light shines in our darkness and the darkness does not overcome us, we are invited to cross the threshold of joy." (Page 198.) If this isn't about experiencing the radical love of God in our lives and the life of the world, I don't know what is. If this isn't a social and political transformation, I don't know what is. God calls each one of us and all of us together to cross the threshold of extravagant abundance so that life can be celebrated joyously and abundantly today.

May this be the year, dear God. May this be the year.

Amen.