Matthew 2.1-12 for Sunday, January 6, 2013

(NOTE: Maybe read the following only after you have listened to the podcast first. My thoughts were where the text and Jan’s artwork took me. But it will take you somewhere different. I’d enjoy hearing from you and where it takes you as well!)

Isn’t Jan Richardson’s artwork beautiful (http://janrichardsonimages.com)? This one is called The Wise Ones, and reminds me that, like the wise ones of the story in this week’s text, we may often be required to travel in the darkness and by way of alternate routes for our spiritual journey to safely or wholesomely continue. Have you ever noticed how your relationship with the Divine seemed very straight forward — you go “there” and return directly back the same way, each time? And then, one day, you notice somehow that your adventuring with God was not to be so straight forward — your next step was not to be an easy or obvious one. So, we find ourselves on such days. We go by night, with our fragile selves, having been touched by being in the small and fragile Presence of Christ, to return to our “home” by another route. That’s pretty par for the course, if we are truly on adventures, isn’t it?

May your week and Epiphany Sunday be an adventure that curves, goes sideways, goes straight, goes two steps forward and one step back, but nevertheless is found to be a holy adventure indeed.

Thank you for sharing the trail with me today.

Deep Peace,
Todd

Song: Alleluia by Steven Iverson (http://www.audiblefaith.com/authors/Stephen+Iverson)