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Apocalypse Now!
Ithink the word “apocalypse” has gotten a bad rap. Popularly, itevokes images of destruction, conflict and the end of the world,but few of these actually have much to do with the word’s (or even theBible’s) actual definition, “unveiling”. Apocalypse is meant to call tomind the image of a curtain being pulled aside so that somethingconcealed can now be seen. It is an uncovering, unveiling or revelation,and I contend, no better compass for the season of Epiphany.Epiphany is the season of the Christian year where we celebrate(among other things depending on your Christian tradition) the comingof the Magi to worship the Christ child. If you’ll permit one moredefinition here, the word epiphany means “manifestation”. Therefore,the season of Epiphany takes this namebecause itis the time in thestory when God’s glory is made manifest to the kings of the foreignlands. The Magi represent all the nations outside of Israel and whenthey arrive to worship Jesus it is a picture of how God’s promise tobring light to all the nations through Israel is being kept. It has alwaysbeen part of God’s hope for the world that all peoples would come toworship him and now, here at Epiphany, we see how finally God willmake that dream come true.Epiphany’s invitation does not end here but only begins. We have to domore than just recognize God’s Glory manifest in Jesus. We must alsomake that glory manifest to the world. This has always been thepurpose of Immanuel. God’s nativity is for the salvation of the world. The two are inexorably linked. There is no Christmas without Epiphanyand no Epiphany without Christmas. So, Epiphany is not simply anepilogue to the Christmas story, but actually it’s grand completion.
Getting Apocalyptic
 This brings us back to the concept of apocalypse. As the Body of Christ– the presence of Jesus on the earth -we have an epiphanal call (I thinkI just made that word up,but go with me here) to bring apocalypsenow. What I mean is that our raison d’être is to reveal God’s glory andinvite the world to worship with us. We have to consider how the gloryof God will be made manifest, or “unveiled”, in our bodies just as it wasin Jesus’. We are the ones who pull the curtain back and reveal to theworld what God is up to. But we do it not only with our lips, but withour lives. It is at that we recall our apocalyptic mission and take actionupon it!
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