Epiphany

The season of Epiphany begins on January 6 and extends till the season of pre-Lent. Historical evidence suggests that the early church developed the feast of Epiphany even before the feast of Christmas, with accounts of some of the earliest celebrations of Epiphany dating back to the fourth century.

Epiphany is about the proclamation of Jesus as King; the word "epiphany," in fact, was used to describe the official visit of a king or emperor to one of his cities where he would publicly appear before his people. In this celebratory season, it is common to focus on evangelism, hold house blessings, and host large parties and feasts. The color for Epiphany ais 

The BCP's Collect for Epiphany summarizes these themes well: "O God, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully grant, that we, which know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead*; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Consider engaging the following passage of Scripture (Isaiah 60:1-5) using Lectio Divina. What does it suggest about Epiphany?

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
And thick darkness the peoples;
But the Lord will arise upon you, 
And his glory will be seen upon you.
And the nations shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
Lift up your eyes all around, and see;
They all gather together, they come to you;
Your sons shall come from afar,
And your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
Your heart shall thrill and exult,
Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
The wealth of the nations shall come to you.

As we continue through this season of Epiphany, celebrating the appearance of Jesus as Savior and King and considering how we might shine the light of Christ to the world around us, Ignatius of Antioch (a bishop who wrote seven letters en route to Rome where he would be martyred around the year 117) provides us with some well-known words (Ephesians 9.1-10.3) on what it means to be a Christian and relate to a hostile society:

But I have learned that certain people from elsewhere have passed your
way with evil doctrine, but you did not allow them to sow it among you. You
covered up your ears in order to avoid receiving the things being sown by them, because you are stones of a temple, prepared beforehand for the building of God the Father, hoisted up to the heights by the crane of Jesus Christ, which is the cross, using as a rope the Holy Spirit; your faith is what lifts you up, and love is the way that leads up to God. So you are all participants together in a shared worship, God-bearers and temple-bearers, Christ-bearers, bearers of holy things, adorned in every respect with the commandments of Jesus Christ. I too celebrate with you, since I have been judged worthy to speak with you through this letter, and to rejoice with you because you love nothing in human life, only God. Pray continually for the rest of humankind as well, that they may find God, for there is in them hope for repentance. Therefore allow them to be instructed by you, at least by your deeds. In response to their anger, be gentle; in response to their boasts, be humble; in response to their slander, offer prayers; in response to their errors, be steadfast in the faith; in response to their cruelty, be civilized; do not be eager to imitate them. Let us show by our forbearance that we are their brothers and sisters, and let us be eager to be imitators of the Lord, to see who can be more wronged, the more cheated, who the more rejected, in order that no weed of the devil may be found among you, but that with complete purity and self-control you may abide in Christ Jesus physically and spiritually.

Consider the images Ignatius uses to describe Christians. What do you
think Ignatius meant by these images? How do these images affirm or
challenge your understanding of what it means to be a Christian?

Consider also how Ignatius expects Christians to relate to unbelievers. Is there a particular idea or phrase he uses that you find particularly relevant as you think about your relationships with unbelievers right now? Why?