Home By Another Way
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
written by Rev. Leah Quarles
This past Sunday, the church observed Epiphany—the day we remember the Magi’s visit following Jesus’ birth. I think there is a real temptation to forget the Magi’s visit, or at least to brush over it. There is so much storytelling leading up to Christmas—remembering the angels' proclamations, the shepherds receiving the good news, Joseph and Mary, and, of course, the baby Jesus. In our nativity scenes, we either omit the Magi altogether or we put them in there with everything else–forgetting that they actually did not arrive until some time later (weeks, months, years? We aren’t entirely sure). Once Christmas is past and the New Year has begun, it’s easy to pack up all the decorations of the holiday and get on with things. But the story of the Magi has meaning and purpose for our lives. It would do us good to pause and reflect on this day, as the church does, and to wonder alongside God’s Spirit for what it could mean for us this year.
Whenever I think of Epiphany, I recall a very special children’s sermon. At the first church I served, Rich, a church member, shared a sweet story with me. Rich is very close with his grandkids, and one day while they were visiting his home, they got to talking about the Magi’s visit. He shared with them the story of how the Magi came to visit Jesus, but, having been warned by God in a dream about King Herod, they returned to their home by a different route.
Rich then went on to present the teaching in a way I’d never heard. He said, “Kind of like the Magi, whenever we meet Jesus, we always ‘return home’ by another way.” He went on to explain that having an encounter with Jesus changes us and we are never the same. And this is what epiphany is all about–it is an ‘aha!’ moment. The day itself commemorates the revelation of Jesus as God’s Son, but we can experience our own epiphany whenever we encounter Christ and receive a sudden, profound realization, flash of understanding or new/deeper meaning of who Jesus is.
These moments can happen through studying God’s word quietly on your own, in Bible studies, or, as a pastor could hope, through hearing a Sunday sermon. They can happen through serving in hands-on missions and service learning opportunities, both locally and abroad. They can happen at work (in the shepherd’s case), or on the road (as with the Apostle Paul), while dreaming (Joseph), or in the midst of our daily tasks (the woman at the well). They can happen whenever and however because epiphany is the work of God’s Spirit. And it is a gift we get to receive freely. No matter how it happens, we know that if we allow it, it will change us.
May this year surprise you with epiphanies from God. May you welcome them into your very being so that you also welcome the change they bring. And may they draw you closer in relationship with the life-giving Christ who is God, in the flesh, with us.
Happy New Year, Happy Epiphany, and may you discover home by another way this year.