I believe our world is in need of restoration – physically, spiritually, emotionally, athletically, educationally and politically, just to name a few experiences that end in the letters a-l-l-y. Particularly with the way this pandemic has come upon us, it is human instinct to seek restoration through healing. Many of you have heard me make the distinction between healing and cure. Cure has to do more with the physical part of our one world; healing has to do more with the spiritual dimension of our one world—again, there is only one world that is both physical and profoundly spiritual. So our desire for physical healing is heightened now with the arrival of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus that has been discovered, created, processed and is now beginning to be distributed. What I find both fascinating and hopeful is that we see, once again, the physical and the spiritual coming together to provide both a cure and healing.
We have and will continue to hear more about a cure in the months ahead.
The prophet Malachi offers some insight into healing that I would like to highlight now, for us in The United States of America, our Church, our families and our Holy Family Catholic Community.
Micah was a minor prophet working at the same time as Isaiah. Their messages were similar, they spoke of the need for change, among all people and among the leadership of the chosen people. The two experiences that Micah focuses on are Restoration and Reuniting. If you read the 5th Chapter of Micah you will get details. He tells us that the eternal King will come from a place that others consider insignificant – Bethlehem. But he points out that King David is from Bethlehem, and Micah and Isaiah both agree that the restoration and reuniting of the covenant will come from Bethlehem. In other words, greatness has come from a relatively insignificant place – and it will again.
All of this background is helpful to embrace the magic of the Epiphany story once again this year.
It has to do with the advice that the evil and insecure king Herod seeks when he is startled by the arrival of three kings seeking the new king. The advice comes from wisdom seeking wisdom in the form of advisors who root the arrival of the new king in the prophecy of Micah. The wisdom is quoted in the story of the Epiphany that we hear this weekend from the Gospel of Matthew (Chapter 2:1-12).
“And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah
Since from you shall come a ruler,
to shepherd my people Israel.”
Micah and Isaiah both tell us that hope and fulfillment and, thus, true healing are coming. They both worked in the prophetic realm when the chosen people had wandered from their roots and their one kingdom was divided. Isaiah is more popular and his imagery and words are echoed by John the Baptist. Micah espouses RESTORATION and REUNITING.
The Epiphany story further helps us to embrace healing, cure, restoration and reuniting in our world now. The kings, who are royal, teach us about humility as they acknowledge the arrival of a new and special king. They seek brightness and guidance. They are not afraid to be led by light. They hold their heads up and focus on a star from above. They trust that the journey will lead them to something new and unique. The gifts that they hold during their travels are as significant as the journey itself.
The physical elements of a vaccine for this virus are from nature, like those gifts. The Kings bring treasures that represent natural resources of their lands. The three kings and the three gifts come together and are offered. They do not journey alone, their journey unites them and then, with further instruction from Micah, re-unites them in their purpose for the final leg of their journey that leads them to their destination.
Restoration for us can come in a similar way – realizing we do not journey in life, or in this pandemic, alone, recalling once again the seemingly insignificant places where healing has come in our lives, and trusting it can come from there again.
That special star long ago led these kings to their savior; so it can for us. Perhaps most importantly their arrival inspired them to give their gifts away. May it inspire us to restore by giving away our gifts of talent, time, energy, attention… The giving away can restore, heal, reunite and cure.