The Light in the Darkness: A Reflection on Epiphany
“Adoration of the Shepherds” by Gerard van Honthorst
The fantasy author Terry Pratchett once commented, “People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, it's the other way around.” While Pratchett’s statement is debatable, he is not fully wrong. As humans, we are creatures who are captivated by stories. The best stories are the ones where we lose ourselves in the world they have created. They make us feel like we are part of a bigger and more meaningful narrative.
Whether we realize it or not, worship is a story. Or rather, as Robert Webber says, worship does a story. Specifically, worship does the story of God, and through worship we are invited to participate in his story. When we come to worship, the liturgical words and acts unfold the story of God’s redeeming love through Jesus Christ, and they help us experience his love. We hear, proclaim, and join God’s narrative through scripture reading, through prayer, in song, through the sermon, and at the Eucharist. Additionally, we participate in God’s story through the way we order time. In particular, the church proclaims, enacts, and delights in God’s story by walking together through the liturgical year.
The liturgical church year provides a narrative structure for worship that follows the life of Christ and the story of the church. It sets forth a yearly pattern of spiritual life that commemorates and re-experiences the mighty acts of God’s salvation through Jesus Christ. In each season of the liturgical year, the church celebrates God’s past actions, anticipates his desired future, and is formed in a distinct way of living in the present.
As 21st-century Christians, most of us likely find ourselves in ecclesial settings where Christmas and Easter are observed as the two highest holy days of the liturgical year. Even in churches that largely dismiss the liturgical calendar, these two days are considered imperative celebrations. Jesus’ birth and resurrection are miraculous events in the narrative of God’s mighty acts, and they are essential to our faith and salvation; therefore, they should be commemorated with grand exaltation! Of course, the story of Jesus Christ encompasses more than these two events, and there are other ways for the church to commemorate Christ’s work for us and for our salvation.
One commemoration that historically has been observed as a major holy day in the life of the church is the festival of Epiphany. In fact, beginning in the 4th century and lasting until the mid-19th century, Epiphany was considered to be a feast more important than Christmas Day. Surely there is nothing wrong with Christmas and Easter now holding prominent places in the church calendar; however, the church should take care not to overlook the festival of Epiphany and its implications for Christian faith and life.
The Festival of Epiphany
The Day of Epiphany officially falls on January 6, the day following the 12 days of Christmas, and it begins the season of “Epiphanytide” or “The Season after Epiphany.” Depending on who you ask, the season of Epiphany lasts either until the feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ (aka Candlemas) on February 2, or until Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent. The season serves as a bridge that connects Christmas to Jesus’s passion. It teaches us to see that Jesus’ glory and his suffering are always intertwined.
The name of the festival of Epiphany is based on the same English word, which comes from the Greek epiphaneia, meaning “manifestation” or “appearance.” In the context of the church year, Epiphany refers to the manifestation of Jesus as the savior of the world—of both Jews and Gentiles. For this reason, on Epiphany the church has long drawn a connection between the story of the Magi adoring the Christ child to the prophecy declared in Isaiah 60:1–3:
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Its placement in the calendar positions Epiphany as the fulfillment of Advent and the climax of Christmas. While in Advent the church awaits the coming of the Messiah, at Christmas the church beholds the incarnation of God in flesh, and on Epiphany the church celebrates that God has come to make his glory known to the world in and through Jesus Christ. During Advent, the church seeks God’s intervention for humanity. At Christmas the church declares that God has assumed our humanity. On Epiphany the church asserts that God has made himself known to all humanity. Moreover, the movement from Advent to Epiphany marks a progression from darkness to light, which is why Epiphany sometimes is called the Feast of Lights. Advent anticipates God’s promised light that will come to dispel the darkness. Christmas praises God for his light that has been born into the darkness. Epiphany rejoices that God’s light has come to the world and has manifest itself to those living in darkness. And so, with Isaiah, on Epiphany the church proclaims:
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
Images of Light
The image of light is often used in the Bible to symbolize Christ and the manifestation of his glory on earth. One way to consider our participation in this light in regard to the coming of Christ is as a sudden burst of light, like a light switch being flipped on in a dark room. At first, the light is so bright that you can’t help but squint and shield your eyes from it as your vision readjusts. It is staggering, but once your eyes grow accustomed to the light, you are good to go.
This idea of Epiphany reminds me of the popular Christian artist Thomas Kinkade. For much of his career, Kinkade was referred to as “the Painter of Light.” People said his paintings had a particular “glow” about them. If you look up one of his works, you will see how light floods the canvas. Every possible light source in the painting shines forth, whether a street lamp, a window, or a car headlight. This luminous style was Kinkade’s trademark. He believed the abundance of light put the viewer in a state of peace and tranquility, feeling good about himself/herself, about God, and about the world. Kinkade wanted his paintings to illustrate idyllic environments and inspirational scenes that whisper to the viewer, “See how wonderful life is when it is full of light?”
Kinkade’s approach to Epiphany is nice and simple, and it speaks to a longing in our hearts for peace and goodness to fill the earth. The problem, however, is that Kinkade does not offer an accurate description of reality, nor a proper representation of the story of Epiphany. Yes, Christ has come and has manifest his light among us, but the darkness is still present. The world is still filled with troubles. Sin and injustice still plague the earth.
In contrast to a “Kinkade” view of Epiphany, the artist Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn offers an alternate way to see Jesus as light in the darkness. Similar to Kinkade, Rembrandt has been called a “painter of light;” however, his artistic depiction of light is quite different. Take a moment to look at this painting by Rembrandt entitled, “The Adoration of the Shepherds.” Notice how Rembrandt’s use of light is distinct from Kinkade’s. In this painting, Rembrandt applies an artistic technique known as chiaroscuro, a technique that makes a strong contrast between shadow and light. Unlike Kinkade, whose paintings are saturated with light, in Rembrandt’s painting the light comes from a single source. The light doesn’t overwhelm the painting, but rather illuminates the darkness in a dramatic fashion.
Rembrandt’s use of light is a fitting image for Epiphany because Rembrandt demonstrates how light stands in contrast to darkness. When Christ came to this world, he came as light in the midst of darkness. He came to draw our attention, to fix our gaze unto himself, to show us a way of life and love that contrasts the darkness. Thus, rather than viewing Epiphany as a blaze of light that suddenly overwhelms a dark room, perhaps a better analogy is to see Epiphany as light that comes to a people trapped deep inside a cave. They are helpless in the darkness, unable to see, and incapable of saving themselves. But then, suddenly, someone from the surface appears in their midst. The person speaks words of comfort and turns on a lantern, bearing a light that pierces the darkness. He assures them that he knows the way out of the darkness, and he promises to lead them to rescue so long as they keep their eyes focused on his light.
Arise and Shine
Here is the story Epiphany proclaims: Christ has come to show us light in the midst of darkness. He has come into the darkness for us and for our salvation. We are constantly surrounded by reminders of human brokenness, that we are people who walk in darkness and need rescuing. Between the COVID pandemic, political hostility, racial tensions, denominational strife, social anxiety, and our own personal concerns, the troubles of this world weigh heavy. They distract us and vie for our attention, often making us feel the need to stand up, face the darkness, and fight against it. Epiphany, however, reminds us that as Christians, even in the midst of darkness, we orient to the light of Christ.
Look at the Rembrandt painting once more. Notice how all the characters in the painting are gathered around Jesus, the source of light. As they gaze upon him, his light shines on them. Their faces reflect his glory.
Epiphany calls us to be like the shepherds who adore Christ in Rembrandt’s painting. We behold the light of Christ, and we become reflective manifestations of his glory. We celebrate the gift of God’s grace made known to the world in Jesus, and we live in the light of that grace so that it shines upon all people. We worship and adore Christ, and we are shaped by his life and love.
In celebration of the festival of Epiphany, therefore, fix your gaze on Christ. Behold his glory. Ponder anew his mighty works of salvation, and let his light dawn upon you as an Epiphany of God’s love.
Jonathan A. Powers is Assistant Professor of Worship Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky and a member of the Firebrand Editorial Board.