麻豆约拍

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Canon Steve Williams

Good morning.

I take my electric light-bulbs too much for granted. One day, the building I run suffered a power-cut just as a club of twenty artists and painters were gathering together to hold their annual general meeting. It was seven o'clock in the evening. Their transport had been booked. I couldn't turn them away. Nor could I let them sit in darkness. I rummaged through every cupboard in the building - and, because it was a church, found a whole stack of candles still in their holders and I presented each artist with their own light. They decided to go ahead with their meeting - and I shall always treasure the memory of the person who took the chair, holding a candle to his face and to his paper agenda, calling them to order like a scene several centuries earlier painted by Rembrandt.

Today is the Christian Feast of the Epiphany. The word Epiphany is taken from the Greek for light that shines forth or shines upon. It's the day for remembering the light that guided Wise Men from the East, the Magi, to the newly born king from among the Jewish people whose message would be of worldwide significance. They may have navigated by lights that we would see differently today - signs in the sky, as different for us as candle-light from electric. But they followed their wisdom to discover the truth to which they recognised they were accountable, by whatever lights they had - and they didn't give up when it led them through some dark places along the way.

O God, who, by the leading of a star, drew to your light those who sought your face, guide us through our darkness to the one who is our Saviour, Hope and Guide, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.