Marking This Day of Light and Darkness

Wow—what a January 6.

It seems fitting that January 6th is now (in the United States) both the observance of the Epiphany when the Magi beheld the Christ Child—and, for Americans, the commemoration of the terrible attack on the U.S. Congress three years ago.

Two Contrasting Days

Why? Because Jesus was born at a similar time of social and political turmoil, when tyrants oppressed minority populations, pompous autocrats abused and exploited their constituents, and false messiahs spawned violent rebellions.

In contrast to an emperor who thought he was God, a petty self-congratulatory politician, and unfaithful religious leaders, the One True God humbly entered the world as a defenseless child born in poverty to displaced persons. 

All around the manger scene swirled the manacing anger of an insecure would-be potentate, who lashed out against his imagined enemies by unleashing the fury of his sycophants. Innocent souls bore the brunt, being brutalized by dutiful thugs. 

For Christians, the Savior is as vulnerable in his humanity as are those he came to save. Less than an ordinary lifetime later, he would be insulted, battered, and laid out supine while tortured and punctured. He ultimately died a very human death, experiencing very human pain and feeling desperate abandonment. 

Lessons of A Combined Memorial

• The more things change, the more they remain the same. While the world is, on the whole, probably a bit calmer, safer, and more peaceful than in ancient times, violent, insecure, and power-hungry overlords still seek to seduce the wearied masses, aggrandize themselves, and enact revenge on those they find threatening.

• Innocents continue to suffer, as they always have, but the greatest among us will suffer with them. The power-crazed roared from his opulent palace against the Child and hunted Him and His family, chasing them across a southern border and into hiding. 

• Earthly pretenders to salvation—the ones who believe they “alone can fix it” will always act with grandiosity from a spectacular earthly stage with all the spotlights on them. In contrast, the actual “fixers,” if you will, go about their work in the margins without demanding the attention of the multitudes.

• Only a few will recognize the faithful Savior instead of the false one. Of all the “wise men” in the ancient world, only a tiny gaggle traveled to see the babe in the manger. Historically, the majority has often been wrong.

• The angelic heralds announced the Messiah’s Bethlehem epiphany by declaring, “Peace on Earth and goodwill to all humanity!” Qualities that foster harmony and generosity towards others mark the real Savior’s identity.

Light Versus Darkness

Another thing about this conjunction of Epiphany and January 6th: The Christ Child arrived under a brilliant star. That was literal as much as it was figurative. 

Jesus is known to His followers as “The Light of the World.” John, the Gospel writer, says of the luminary Christ, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”(John 1:5) Similarly, the Psalmist refers to God’s Word as a “light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) And, back to John, the circle is complete when the Apostle declares, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14) 

The arrival of Jesus brought the Word of God into the world, illuminating our hearts and minds with Truth–which Jesus was expressly. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” 

The perpetrators on January 6th were anything but light, life, and truth. Their rage, threats, pummeling, chemical assaults, breaking and entering, vile desecration of the country’s seat of government, and terroristic imagery emblazoned on hats, shirts, flags, and props conveyed only darkness, lies, and death. Like the mayhem playing as the backdrop to that original nativity scene, the U.S. Capitol was awash with blood, screams, and dying. 

Pursuing The Light

Yet, just as some recognized the light that led to and revealed God’s embodiment of truth on Epiphany, a few dared to speak truth on January 6, 2021. Yet, again, like the New Testament account of that first Christmastide, many of those truth-tellers were vanquished by those who hate the truth.  

I believe in providence and see more than coincidence in this overlapping of two important days for Christians. The first was that epic moment when truth-seekers took the time and expended the resources necessary to pursue the light. The second was the day when too many one-time truth-seekers traded that precious commodity for a cheap and toxic jolt of malevolence. 

This Epiphany, let us remember the revelations of both January Sixes; one demonstrates God’s saving love for humanity, and the other proves so bracingly why we need that saving love. 

A Blessed Epiphany–and a sorrowful Jan 6 to you and all yours.