Happy Epiphany! It’s a new time in the year, newer even than the January 1 of less than a week ago, the days growing (if imperceptibly) longer, the colour of the liturgical season now green to symbolize growth and discipleship.

I’ve been thinking of the little kids’ chorus we used to sing, the one with the catchy melody and arms stretched first as far as they go vertically, and then as far as they go horizontally.

Deep and wide, deep and wide,
There’s a fountain flowing deep and wide…

The Christmas event is the “deep” — the incarnation, God become human, a long downward journey indeed.

His state was divine,
Yet he did not cling…
But emptied himself…
And became as persons are… (Philippians 2:6-8)

Epiphany is the “wide,” for it’s the coming of the Magi it celebrates, and what the Magi reveal is the beginning – a foretaste – of what the incarnation intended: all peoples streaming into the tent of God’s mercy. One of today’s readings was Isaiah 60:1-6, which speaks (“though night still covers the earth”) of the rising glory and of that

assembling and coming…
your sons from far away
and your daughters…
and your hearts being enlarged…
bringing gold and incense
and singing

I’m singing the kids’ chorus, opening arms wide to remember the meaning of Epiphany, and for supper we’ll have one of our favourite non-supper-like meals, roll-up pancakes with fruit and cream cheese and syrup, and maybe for dessert we’ll enjoy the pomegranate we bought the other day, which associates so easily with the Magi and their quest and their gifts, and their message of Everyone and Everywhere under the mercy and glory of God.