Epiphany

Winter started with a bang two months ago and has not loosened its grip in this new year. Snowfall amounts in November and December were double the yearly averages in our region. Snow has fallen almost daily as snow forms over the open water of Lake Huron and is blown our way by the prevailing west wind. Every week or so, a Colorado low brings even more snow. The sun has been hidden for weeks.

I am an early riser and spend the first half hour of the day close to my full-spectrum ultraviolet light. The weather has kept me from wandering about outdoors other than taking our puppy to a local dog park for exercise and socialization. Those outings have been very chilling! Today dawned cloudy and grey, but the skies cleared later in the morning and the sun finally came out.

We walked through the woods with Ripley and enjoyed a perfect January day. This is the week of Epiphany, which is far more than the story of the Magi finding the young child, Jesus, in Bethlehem. An epiphany is an "aha!" moment, a realization, an enlightenment, a revelation, the dawning of something new and important. The season of Epiphany lasts until Lent, and during this time, we read how Jesus is revealed as the Messiah by the wise men, at his baptism, and during his earthly ministry.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth

and thick darkness is over the peoples,

but the Lord rises upon you

and his glory appears over you.

Nations will come to your light,

and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Isaiah 60:1-3

One side of the parhelion

On the way home, clouds started moving in from the west as the sun began to set. Sundogs were on both sides of the sun, the full parhelion halo partially obscured by light cloud cover. The news cycle has been as gloomy as the weather, but the sunny walk helped me remember that "the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5)