Dear Centenarians:
During the holidays, I had the opportunity to spend a week
in Seattle, WA, visiting family and friends. Having been there before, I
anticipated the chilling temperatures that awaited me (it was pretty cold here
in Southern California during that same time, I’m told)!
One thing I was not prepared for was the beautiful sight of
the snow-covered Cascade Mountains. During worship on Sunday, Jan. 6, which was
Epiphany, I told of traveling on the interstate one dark evening, and losing my
bearings even with the benefit of a GPS on the car’s dashboard.
After a few moments of confusion, I noticed the bright,
snow-capped peaks at a distance, cutting through the darkness of night. It had
nothing to do with the reflection of the stars and was simply the brightness of
the snow making it self visible. In a matter of moments, I figured out where I
was, and we were able to continue our journey.
That experience was an “epiphany” of sorts, a manifestation
of God through the light of those snow-capped mountains. Like the story of the
wise people (“magi”) who were guided by the light of the star to see Jesus, my
experience on the dark road was a reminder of the light of the Christ child
that revealed itself at Christmas, and that continues to reveal itself today.
The events which we have witnessed in recent weeks depict a
world of darkness, and one couldn’t be blamed for giving up hope for a peaceful
world. Yet, the story of Epiphany as found in Matthew’s Gospel gives us
precisely that hope. The light of the star that broke through the darkness of
the night sky and guided the magi to the Christ Child continues to shine
through the darkness in our time.
Let this light guide us throughout the coming year as we
seek to be faithful to the stories of Christmas and Epiphany!
Grace & Peace,
Rev. Mark M. Nakagawa
