We are still in the season of Epiphany, a time for reflecting, reflecting on the awesome. Epiphany started on January 6th when we celebrated the awesome journey of the Wise Men or Magi. The season continues until The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, often known as Candlemas, on February 2nd.
Epiphany is a time for reflecting on the fact that God’s love is for all people –is that not awesome? God showed love by coming to live as a human being and being born as a baby. To the Greeks and the Romans the gods came in human form but it was a fully developed adult form. For God to be a human foetus in a womb was indeed awesome.
God in Jesus came to our world, a world of ego, power plays and domination. Jesus can reconcile these extremes and transform us and our world. He and he alone looks at each of us and sees not only what we are but also our potential, who we may become. Is that not awesome?
Originally awesome meant causing or inducing awe; inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear; extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring admiration. The word awesome is now somewhat corrupted to mean excellent, exciting, remarkable – it’s lost some of its depth.
When we say something is awesome, like a sunset, a painting or a piece of music, are we experiencing awe in its original sense? Do we see the divine in our world? Do we sense the awesome in the simple? Are we shying away from recognizing that the source of our awe is God? God who made all things and who longs for all of creation to be redeemed, restored to the way it was meant to be.
Our God longs to show us the true meaning of awesome…