On the other side of Christmas, during the season of Epiphany, a New Year begins. The stars are still brightly shining and in that luminescent sky, so the story goes, one star shines so brightly that it guided the Magi to the manger and opened their eyes to see the newborn babe as God’s gift of the Messiah.

An epiphany is a moment in which we suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way. Do we not long for that newness and clarity as this new year begins? In too many ways, it feels like we could be headed into more of the same-old-same-old which we aren’t liking much at all, right?

Fortunately for us, the Season of Epiphany opens anyway, teasing our hearts and spirits into newness and clear vision, ready or not. So even if you don’t feel like it, even if you are skeptical or just plain weary of it all, set that aside for a moment and look up. Look within. Look around. The everlasting light is shining. Jesus, the Light of the World is born!

Resolve to do something each day to open a place for the light to get in—in your own heart, in a relationship, on your block, for a hungry or homeless person you don’t even know.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out. (The Message)