January 06, 2007

Eastward Leading, Still Proceeding

Banyan Sunrise Wailoa State Park Hilo Hawaii

Today is Epiphany Sunday...Epiphany literally means "to show" and is set aside as the day to celebrate the mysterious apperance of the Magi to worship the Divine Child Jesus. I wrote a long peice about this called Follow the Star of Gladness a tribute to this 2nd favorite of all of the Christmas carols, and one that celebrates my love of the Old Testament and how it relates to the events of the New.


Can you imagine being in Jerusalem on the day of their arrival. I personally doubt that there were only three Magi present to worship the Divine Child. Such august personages would have traveled with a large number of servants, enterage, and household guards. To have this army decend upon Jerusalem, let alone Bethlehem must have been a shock, and a full on stampeede.

Imagine Mary and Joseph? The adulation over their Infant, must have been both gratifying and disturbing... then the gratitude as they fled the town ahead of Herrod's thugs with the precious child. The goods given as gifts would have provided for their travel expenses and for life in a new land.

We know nothing about that time..their thoughts, all we see are the actions of people that totally relied on God for direction. They didnt just pray and hope they would be delivered, they stepped out and sought deliverence

Would that I would follow their lead... Eastward leading, still proceeding, Lord guide me to Thy perfect light