Look

Mark 1:9-11

"You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased."  -- Mark 1:11

What do you see when you look at this picture?  Snow-dusted mountains?  Water?  A few wispy clouds?  Do you see a ship, industry, human occupation?  Do you see creation’s grandeur?  Signs of climate change?  The presence of God?  What we see depends a great deal on how we look at it, the filters we consciously and unconsciously employ and the perspectives and experiences we bring to whateve we are considering.

Tomorrow, January 6, is Epiphany, the day when the Western Churches celebrate the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem to pay homage to the baby Jesus, bringing their gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh.  In Eastern Christianity, it is Christmas, the celebration of the birth of the Son of God.  Sunday, in many congregations, we will celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord by John the Baptist in the Jordan River.  In all of the events we celebrate and remember over these few days in the Christian calendar, what you see depends upon how you look and what you believe.  The Magi looked at the baby in Mary’s arms and saw a king.  Herod heard about the baby’s birth and saw a threat.  The innkeeper saw a pregnant woman in need of shelter and let her and her husband stay in the barn.  The Shepherds, believing the angels who appeared on their hillside, saw the Messiah.  The people along the Jordan saw another pilgrim, John the Baptist saw the one whose sandals he was not worthy to untie.

In today’s reading, the voice from heaven tells us who the one baptized by John is:  God’s beloved Son.  But can we see it?  And, seeing it, do we believe it?  And believing it, what do we do about it?  How does the revelation of God’s love, grace and mercy in Jesus impact, shape and guide our lives? 

Questions, I think, worth looking at as we head into 2018.

Peace,

Bishop Mike

I took this picture last week in Vancouver, BC where I was attending a conference with the Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada learning and thinking together about our ministry with indigenous peoples.  Thanks for reading.