Epifanny - Christmas ends - Revelation complete

Last year one of the children in a school I do assemblies at gave me a picture with three green things with brightly coloured humps, a supernova and what looked like an octopus. Underneath the illustration was the word 'epifanny'

I was impressed for the images (for the child at least) was three camels (complete with'kings') heading towards a star underneath which the baby Jesus (the octopus) was to be found. They knew the word and who the epifanny was for - the three non-believing types on the camels. This was their moment of 'sudden' (I love that thought for how long had they been travelling?) and 'great' revelation of God's solution to all the world's problems.

Last night the tree and decorations were packed away and all that remains is a manger, which this morning found its congregation added to by three geezers on camels - it is indeed Epifanny! Well OK, it is actually epiphany but who cares how the spelling goes - it's knowing what it is the most important bit, we can deal with the letters later.

One of the family treasures we have has to be a wonderful glass nativity for when I see it I remember the man who made it (and his wife) and pray for them both; I remember God's gift to us and how the marginalised (shepherds) and the world ( found in well off and intellectually able Magi) teach me that God's gives to those who are near and far off from Him. How God seeks relationship with those who have and (most importantly) those who have nothing.

The fact that the outcast, smell, poor were the first to see His solution cheers me greatly.

The fact that intelligent people who had no relationship with God sought the truth (and I know some who pose as intelligent and able who, in reading their books or listening to them on radio, who do the very opposite) found it in Jesus, cheers me (that's the engineer and scientist in me I guess).

So here's a piece of music and some bits of glass to help you celebrate Epiphany: