Most liturgical churches treat Epiphany as only a Feast Day, but increasingly some regard the whole period from January 6 until Ash Wednesday as the season of Epiphany. This approach lends itself to an extended focus on how Jesus manifested the mystery of his identity and the presence of his kingdom, from his Baptism at the beginning of public life to his Transfiguration near the end.
In the schema of the liturgical calendar, during Advent we longed for the light, during the twelve days of Christmas we celebrated the light and now, during Epiphany, we manifest the light. First we are given to see, then we are asked to say.
Here is a short reflection on how Epiphany themes might illuminate our ministry with grads and faculty over these coming weeks.
Looking into and making known: The work of integration
To state the obvious, scholars pursue epiphanies: they are eager to see something new, to uncover or discover things, to experience insights and “aha moments.” They want to learn how the world works—nature, people, society, ideas. They want to make something of the world. And so they look into things: microscopes and telescopes, archeological sites and historical archives, distant galaxies and inner psyches, mathematical theory and sociological praxis, literary aesthetics and human genetics. They look into all manner of things! And what they come to see, they make known—they publish, patent, teach, exhibit, promote, legislate, implement, etc.
And this work, of course, is God-given and God-reflecting and, we might argue, God-infused (a key thesis, btw, in Miroslav Volf’s Work in the Spirit: Toward a Theology of Work). So we invite and encourage and even challenge those we work with—current faculty, emerging scholars, future professionals—to recognize how God is in their work. We want to instill in them certain fundamental instincts that will shape how they do their work for the whole of their careers. For example: a prayerful dependence for insight, a humble gratitude when successful, a patient endurance when stymied, a gracious posture toward colleagues, an ethical foundation for practice, a theological frame for reflection, a seeking-the-shalom-of-the-city sense of purpose.
As campus ministers we have the opportunity (and challenging responsibility) to put before them the most important questions, the most foundational theological ideas and the most helpful resources and exemplars. We supply a bit of the light that they need to be faithful, not only in their academic thought, but also their professional relationships and their institutional influence. We help them do what they do more “Christianly.”
Coming to see and pointing toward: The work of witness
Simply put, we want to help those we serve to see more of Jesus so that they can go on being formed and transformed by him. In the midst of all the demands and distractions they face, we invite their attention to Jesus, Creator incarnate, Wisdom enfleshed, Love personified. The more deeply they know and love him (as they are known and loved by him), the more their lives will be filled with light and life. So we come alongside students and faculty, especially the leaders of our fellowships, to listen and discuss and pray and read and ponder and encourage and challenge. We help them to stay turned toward the Light.
And then we encourage them to reflect the light. We want their lives to reflect the light—how they do their work and befriend their colleagues and use their time and spend their money and deal with their moral failings and embody their values. And we want their words to reflect the light. As spiritual shepherds, we call and encourage them to faithful witness. We help them to convey to the people in their lives the truth and beauty and power of Jesus, as they’ve experienced it themselves.
How do we do this? We model it before them in our own lives. We pray with them to see their friends come to the Light. We encourage them to act with love and speak with humility. We equip them practically, whether in groups or one-to-one, to guide their friends across the thresholds from distrust to curiosity to openness to seeking to faith. And finally we facilitate action, by helping the leaders choose thoughtful outreach strategies as a community and by coaching individuals in the next steps of their personal witness.
Walking in the Light
Of course, for us to do our jobs well, whether on campus or in supervision or behind the scenes administratively, we must keep walking in the light ourselves. Epiphany reminds us of Jesus’s own transformative encounters with Light. When he underwent Baptism in the river, he saw heaven opened and heard the voice of affirmation (“my beloved”) and felt the presence of the Spirit. When he experienced Transfiguration on the mountain, he again glimpsed glory and received grace and experienced power. Both epiphanies were preludes to risk-filled mission. On both occasions, he placed himself deliberately before God, praying. And over the many months between river and mountain, he continued to seek the Father in prayer and to receive the grace and power and wisdom he needed for fruitful ministry. May that be our experience this semester as we help students and faculty with the good work of integration and witness.
