We are coming up on Epiphany this week. James Joyce, one of my favorite authors, used the term “epiphany” to describe a moment in which everything comes into focus and new insights are gained. This is an appropriate definition of epiphany in modern terms, but the Epiphany of the Magi is something more: it is the moment when the world came into focus, when the powers of the world became less important than the power of love; when peace became more important than ego and might.  Epiphany is our chance to lay aside the distractions of the world and see the world clearly. More importantly, we can see ourselves more clearly, our role in relationships, the strength and beauty of our families, as well as the grace and forgiveness that define Christians. 

A friend of mine is Russian Orthodox, right around Epiphany, they have a tradition of asking for forgiveness, for any wrong they may have committed. When I was at UConn Medical, she shared in that tradition. I wondered what it would feel like, not many of us approach people in church and say, “Please forgive me if I have wronged you.” It felt foreign to me, but then it crystalized: so many of the things we do wrong in this world are unknown to us, we genuinely do not realize we are being hurtful; People act out of their own pain or ignorance, and the result is that the person who carries the weight of resentment, is the person who is unforgiving. 

Think of all the times Jesus forgave, and know that it was as healing for his soul as it was for those he led, taught, and ultimately died for. Perhaps starting the New Year with a dose of forgiveness is a healthy thing; I’m not going to walk up to someone and ask for blanket forgiveness, I’m the type of person who needs to know what I’m working on and then act with intention, but I can offer that grace to others, and know it will be good for my soul (even if nobody but me knows about it). 

Happy New Year, Denise