Like the Christmas season, Epiphany is a time for gifts—those brought by the Wise Men, for example. So the following tongue-in-cheek gift wish list:· The Left Behind Series practical survivor’s guide
· A Monopoly Acts 16 “get out of jail free” card
· A “begats” family tree chart
· A woman at the well water cooler
· Golf club covers with the 12 disciples’ faces on them
· The Damascas Road auto-fog light (it’ll blind ya!)
· A bobble-head statue of the apostle Paul for the back of your car
· A Dead Sea bathroom deodorizer
· A hellfire and brimstone backyard grill
· A half-size replica of the Popemobile
· A rooftop hot tub
· Frankincense aftershave or cologne
It’s fun to think what this season would be like if we took to heart its impetus—again, gift-giving. More than that, that we would gift people who aren’t expecting it—better yet, don’t deserve it. That’s what Jesus did—and does!
No sooner is Epiphany begun than does Lent begin—on February 22. Rather than the usual emphasis of giving something up for Lent, I like the idea of taking something up—for example, adding something to my daily “to-do” list. So I was thrilled when Julie, my wife, recently passed on her master’s degree term project for my review. Its purpose, in part: “Our school, like many, faces the reality of children being unkind to one another and their teachers. Instead of telling students what they should not do (bullying), this project will give students the reasons for being kind and ideas for showing kindness.”
No matter what we do this Epiphany or Lent, join me in celebrating all that God continues to do for us. We are indeed gifted, no?
