The new year has begun and many people wonder what the year will bring. What will happen in the middle east or Afghanistan? How will the new Niagara regional and city councillors do? What will our own personal lives bring? Will this be a good year, or a hard one? Many years ago similar questions were in the minds of people after the first Christmas. What will the Romans do now that the Census is complete? Will our taxes go up? What was this story of a new child all about? Why was he born in a manger? Didn’t his parents know any better? What were the shepherds on about? They hadn’t heard yet that the Wise men were on the way. That wouldn’t happen for another two years. Something important was in the works and most people were ignorant of what the good Lord was up to.

There are still people today who don’t know what God is up to. They have not understood, or heard correctly, the story of Jesus and his birth. They don’t get it, that “Emmanuel” is present; God is with us here and now. Have you been able to hear or see what God is doing in the midst of the world today? Have you discovered his Holy presence in your life? The season of Epiphany, ( which comes after Christmas) is all about finding the answers to these kinds of questions. If you have difficulty in answering you can always contact the church of your choice to ask for help. You might be pleasantly surprised by the answers you discover( or not).

It is interesting that our new calender year has been pegged to this time as well. It is really just a way to mark that another cycle has begun for each of us. In the calender of the natural world,, the shortest day of the year has passed and we can now measure that the light is once again overcoming the darkness. The light from the sun is our primary source of energy that sustains life on the planet. In the calender of the church, Epiphany notes that the Light of Jesus is dawning in a new way on the world. The message is the same, have hope in the midst of winter for a new spring is on the way, even if it will take some time to get there. The “God’s are active” and important things are happening. As a Christian, we believe there really is only one God who is the true Lord over all time and events. Jesus came to us to help us to get to know Him and what His plans are for us. Plans for good and not for evil. The desire to bless us and show us how to have life eternal. The choice is always up to us. Do we want to live just for the moment and to try and find our own answers for life, or are we willing to listen to the one who has come to help us find our way and to offer us true “Salvation”? God made it all and He has shown us the way... We are not left us in darkness to grope for answers..I hope that you will find your answers to the questions you have this year and that they will lead you to know God’s eternal love for you.

Rev. Tijs, at St. Giles Presbyterian Church.

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