A Transforming Journey
Isaiah 60:1-6; Matthew 2:1-12
January 4, 2009
Sermon preached by Rev. Emily Tanis-Likkel
Have any of you seen the movie Kung fu Panda? It was played quite a few times at my house over the Christmas break. The panda named Po with the voice of Jack Black was living a simple life working in his father's restaurant when the opportunity came to become a savior of sorts, be becoming great at kung fu. He was thrust into a journey of soul that would transform his life forever. He loved to eat and didn't exactly have the physique of a kung fu master. He asked the great teacher how so much change was possible, wondering if he should quit. The master told him, “You are too concerned about what was and what will be. There is a saying, the past is history, the future is a mystery, but today is a gift – that's why it is called the present.” It didn't matter that he had so far to go, or that the others made fun of him – all that mattered was now. And the gift of the present was a wake-up call to change his life. He realized he was destined to bring peace to his people. The tagline throughout the movie is “prepare for awesomeness.” That is the Advent theme, isn't it? And now that Advent has turned into Christmas, the awesomeness is here. It was this awesomeness the wise men sought, and what wise ones still seek.
The wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? They came searching for truth. When they reached their destination, they were overjoyed. They knew that because of their journey, they would never be the same again. Epiphany, which means “manifestation” is when churches recall this story of God made manifest. When we tell the story of Epiphany, we observe that the awesomeness is here.
Joseph Dispenza wrote a book called The Way of the Traveler, which describes how traveling invites one into a journey of the soul. He says that journeys are born from a sacred restlessness. I wonder if the wise ones from the East were motivated by a sacred restlessness. A feeling of something new about to be born in them. Something in the world had shifted and they wanted to observe it first-hand. They were restless, and would be restless until they reached their destination. I love how traveling away from home provides such rich groundwork for personal change and growth. Long car rides when we get a chance to stop doing and start dreaming about our lives, what we are grateful for and what goals we are making. When I think about the trips my family has made to California to visit my parents, a common theme in them is Brett and I saying, “when I get back home, I am going to . . .” We receive clarity when we travel. A similar thing is true in our Christian journey. We receive clarity along the way that opens our eyes to God made manifest among us.
Dispenza told about a friend who when she gets the itch to travel she does a very simple thing. “When she feels the call to journey, she consciously moves from one spot to another. That is all! She stands in one place in one room of her house and mentally calls that “home.” Then she walks slowly and carefully into another room—to a spot that she has designated “the destination.” To complete the exercise, she walks, just as slowly and carefully, back to her original spot . . it is a microscopic rendering of the entire journey.” He suggested try the exercise barefooted. After reading this, I took off my slippers and thought--right now I'm home. I slowly stepped forward, deciding that my destination was the kids' room. From the arm-chair to the crib. First my eyes were closed, and I breathed, meditated - not specific words, but trusted God. A reminder of God being with me on my journey, and I felt that I was not alone. Pretty soon I was placing my feet so mindfully, and with joy, I felt so peaceful when I arrived at the crib, I didn't want to leave. When I finally did turn back around, I went slowly at first, then my last few steps were faster – I was ready to be home. I sat in my chair and reflected and breathed for a few moments before putting my slippers back on. I felt a peace had washed over me.
How do we know how to get to Christ? The wise men saw the star and knew how to interpret it: The King of the Jews was born. But how do they get there? They needed someone who knew the Scriptures. They went to Herod. Herod got the scribes and priests together, and they knew the Hebrew Scriptures, they could rattle off the prophesies. They knew that Bethlehem was the place. They wise men were open to the mysterious, they were ready to worship and be changed. Yet they needed the scriptures for their joy to be complete. The scribes and priests knew the scripture, but they weren't open to transformation – they were closed up in fear. Journeying to Christ is made complete both when we open ourselves to divine mystery and when we discover the truth inherent in the Bible. We have prepared for awesomeness. We look to the sacred in wonder.
When arrive at the place we have been planning to reach, there is a moment of truth. When the wise ones arrived at the home of Jesus, they were overjoyed, and they felt the weight of the situation in their bones. They trembled with excitement, they moment of truth hung in the air. Perhaps we can re-enact this story in our lives. Every time we pause to pray, every time we stop and breathe and wonder at God's creation, every time we sense that the Holy Spirit is encouraging us, every time we remember and believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Our journey to truth happens without leaving home. It is a journey within that changes our hearts. This journey transforms all of our interactions with the world around us, molding us into the children of God that we are meant to be.
The call to journey offers transformation. The magi dreamed that they needed to take a detour. Detours are inevitable. Sometimes a detour is brought on by a loss: illness, loss of employment, death of a loved one, or a financial blow. It was Herod's fear that led to the wise men's detour. Other times a detour is brought on by something new: a birth, a new opportunity, a new relationship, or a shift in thinking – even a dream. Epiphany helps us weather the detours. Situations in our lives can help snap our focus back to God. Once we find Christ, it realigns our priorities, it shifts our soul.
An Epiphany is a spiritual flash, it is the divine manifested that changes our lives. The magi came bearing gifts, but it was the gift they received that changed everything. After they saw the Christ-child, they had a dream. And so the magi went back home another way – life with God changes our direction. When we trust in God, going back home another way isn't so scary. When we have a moment of truth, of understanding, of epiphany, we may find ourselves somewhere that we didn't predict. But if we keep our eyes on the star – on the guidance of the Spirit, we can find our way home. We can discover where it is that we are going next – where our spiritual quest is headed, what God is calling us to do or to understand.
Sometimes we get so busy and distracted that we forget where we are in our lives. Dispenza suggests the following exercise: Close your eyes. Where am I right now, really? Where am I going, really? Am I following the star? Am I worshiping at the manger? Am I too tired to think about it? Am I confused about what I believe? Where am I right now, really? Am I teetering at the edge of a precipice of fear or anxiety? Am I complacent? Where am I going, really? Is God calling me to something new?
Star of wonder, star of night; star with royal beauty bright. Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.
The Way of the Traveler, p. 29.
The Way of the Traveler, p. 86.