Reflection for January 6, 2014

"Fringe people stay on the fringe, marginal men remain on the periphery."(Reflections for Ragamuffins January 6)

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, you know the 3 Kings, wise men, magi whatever you wish to call them.  Today is there big moment.  In the grand scheme of the life of Jesus, not really all that huge.  Only Matthew mentions them and only tradition names them.  Fun hymns mention them.  But for the most part they are about as fringe and marginal as you can get.  But their appearance is important in laying out some deep theological statements about Jesus.

In our own lives we have significant people who have impacted who we are no doubt.  But there are also folks who really weren't major players in our lives but even the brief period of time that they were a part of our lives has an impact.  I can think of several people who are fringe folks in my life.  And yet they left a mark, sometimes positively sometimes negatively.

It is probably true that we also have been a person remaining on the periphery of others lives.  Maybe not making a huge difference or impact, but the encounter is still there.

The challenge in growing as a person is to perhaps not just stay on the fringes but to engage the world fully.  Not to remain out on the margins looking in but to enter and take our place on the stage of life.

Blessings,
Ed