Epiphany, the Celebration of Freedom

As the New Year ushered into our lives, the celebration of the manifestation of God to the nations, observed as Epiphany brings the hope of God and God’s revelation to all people across the regions and religions. During a time, when God has been portrayed as an exclusive entity by each individual faith, Epiphany makes us realise the freedom of God in revealing God’s-self through God’s own choices and God’s own ways. Traditionally Epiphany is associated with the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the people, who came from far eastern nations and religions by following the star of Magi to Bethlehem. Besides this the celebration of the Baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist, Jesus’ miracle at Cana and Jesus feeding the five thousand people are also the concentric events attached to Epiphany. Epiphany is also the celebration as important as Christmas to Christians of several traditions. What is the relevance of Epiphany for us today? Does the celebration of Epiphany have any significance in our faith pilgrimages? Three dimensions in Epiphany I would like to draw your attention to.

Epiphany, the Celebration of God’s Freedom
Epiphany basically is the celebration of God and God’s freedom to manifest and reveal. God can manifest God’s-self in any form, image, way and substance. No one can limit God and God’s manifestation to a certain formula or principle, or can fix God to a particular time and place or can draw boundaries to God. Epiphany reminds us the infiniteness of God, and makes God to express God’s freedom in expressing God and in revealing God. As Epiphany is the manifestation of God to the nations, God celebrates God’s freedom in manifesting to any nation in any point of history and in any number of ways God can. When God as a Word became flesh (John 1:14), and when God manifested in human flesh (I Tim 3:16), and when baby Jesus Christ was manifested to the followers of Magi, all these events expresses God sheer freedom. God in human flesh was something unimaginable for the then people, who limited God to only holy of the holies and to the holy sanctuaries. But God in all freedom manifested in human flesh. When theologies from above were the norm of the day, God in all freedom chose to manifest from below, as human being, in human flesh and in human form. When Jews thought God was only to Jews, Christ’s manifestation to the people from far eastern religions once again expresses God’s freedom plan that Christ is for all and to all peoples. Therefore on this day of Epiphany, lets celebrate God’s freedom and let us be humble enough to know that God can be manifested in any way, in any religion and in any circumstances. Lets feel good about God’s freedom, and celebrate Epiphany.

Epiphany, the Celebration of Religious Freedom
When God manifested in God’s mysterious ways to the nations, Epiphany is also the celebration of religious freedom of the people. It was the people’s choice in accepting the manifestation of God, when God appeared in flesh, it was the choice of the people from far eastern countries and religions to receive the manifestation of Christ, and it was the choice of the people to believe in the ‘Son of God’, as was manifested during the baptism of Jesus Christ. If Epiphany is the celebration of God’s freedom it is equally important to know that God does not reveal in vacuum, rather reveals in histories and to people, and manifestation of God becomes meaningful only when it is received and accepted voluntarily by the people of God. During the days when ‘conversions’ and ‘re-conversions’ are on the rise, religious freedom and expression of ones individual faith in all freedom becomes immanent and this Epiphany reinvigorates the spirit of religious freedom. People’s freedom of choosing a faith, participating in faith exercises and propagating their faith experiences should not be curtailed, and that is the calling of Epiphany. Every faith needs be respected, every faith experience needs to be appreciated and every person’s choice of reaching to any form of God’s manifestation should be upheld for that is the ethos of Epiphany. Epiphany thereby builds community of people, and encourages people to express their religious freedom, affirming their own faith experience.

Epiphany, the Celebration of Creation’s Freedom
When God manifests in different and diverse forms, the basic question that emerges is why does God manifest to different people in different forms? God’s manifestations in varied forms are basically for the sake of people and creation. When the creation is groaning in all bondages and when the humanity is caught up in several bondages created by caste, class, religion, gender etc., the manifestation of God is to make people and creation free from all their clutches. Therefore, as we commemorate the manifestation of God to the nations, it is make creation live in all freedom and to enjoy such freedom that comes from the manifestations of God. God revealed God’s-self to liberate and save this creation from sinful conquests. As God manifests, creation dances in all freedom for in the manifestations of God, there is total freedom and total liberation. Therefore, as we celebrate Epiphany today, let us resolve ourselves to celebrate the freedom in creation and the freedom of creation given by God through God’s myriad revelations. As God manifested to the followers of Magi, they would have carried forward the message of freedom back to their eastern countries and would have continued to channel freedom to people and creation caught up in the web of bondages. Their Darshan of God would have strengthened them to witness the gospel of freedom to all people they come across in their pilgrimage of faith. Therefore, commemorating the manifestations of God during Epiphany, let us all celebrate the freedom of creation and let us resolve to liberate it, and make our earth and country free from all conflicts and discriminations.

May I wish you all a very Happy Epiphany and pray that we become the recipients of the manifestations of God, and be open to see God in different and diverse traditions, sciences, ideologies and religions. May our celebrations of Epiphany build communities of peace & freedom in our local localities and in our times, give up our exclusive claims on God and become the agents of freedom.

6th January 2009