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From the Deacon’s Bench - Epiphany 2026
By Canon Ken

While I don’t think I had an epiphany as I was thinking about Epiphany, it did make me consider what it has been and perhaps what it should be. What should it mean to me? Epiphany is the twelfth day after Christmas. At one time and in some traditions, each of the twelve days was meant to be a festive day. I don’t think I could do twelve days of Christmas, but I guess some folks did. There are a variety of versions of the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas. Most are not a very serious look at Epiphany. In some traditions, Christmas decorations were taken down on Epiphany Eve as the festivities were concluded.

In the early church, Epiphany was the feast day to honour the baptism of Jesus. This was maintained as a feast in the Eastern Church. The Western Church started to recognize Epiphany as the celebration of the coming of the Magi. The coming of the Magi was said to recognize that Jesus was as special to the Gentiles as to the Jews. It showed that Jesus was the Lord of all, Jews and Gentiles together.

Does the coming of the Magi reflect the setting aside of traditional wisdoms? Does it reflect a new way, a new start? As the Magi came and honoured Jesus, does it show that we are to set aside the old ways and the old traditions as Jesus brings a very different perspective to this world, a different way of living?

As I age, do I try to look at things with fresh eyes, or do I see things the way that I have always seen them? I think we get used to things being a certain way. It becomes harder to imagine the world in a different way. But doesn’t Jesus challenge us to look at the world through different eyes? Each day may be an opportunity to imagine the world through a different lens, and to do what we can to influence the world around us in ways the Spirit may guide us.

Let me live this year awakening each day to ask God for the courage to be open to continuing revelation, epiphanies great and small that God offers in my life.