Epiphany

No Christmas nativity scene is complete without the figures of the Magi. When I was growing up, we celebrated the 6th of January as Epiphany; it marked the 12th day of the Christmas season, a time when we'd bring out the three wise men, or the Magi, and their camels, and place them around our family creche. When I was younger, I did not really ascribe much meaning to the presence of the wise men, or to Epiphany for that matter, other than it marked the official end of the Christmas season: the tree and all the trimmings would be put away for another year, and school would start back up the following Monday. As I matured, though, I learned the significance of these few verses was much more important: the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. Epiphany.

For those of you not familiar with the the Bible, the story is recounted in the gospel of Matthew; several Magi came from the east to worship the newborn King of the Jews, bringing him gifts. Along the way, they stopped off at the palace of King Herod (who had been appointed the earthly "King of the Jews" by his Roman superiors) and inquired where the new King of the Jews could be found. Understandably, King Herod was not too happy about this potential usurper to his throne, and later on Matthew tells how Herod tried to ensure his throne was secure by ordering the death of all little boys under the age of two. Pretty traumatic story, one that always made me shudder at the horrific, senseless brutality of it all. Epiphany.

Over the past two weeks, I often wondered about how odd it was that the Congressional certification of the election results coincided with Epiphany. I had never paid any attention to that ritual, let alone what date it occurred on, but this year was different (shocker...something else different and weird to happen this year). I watched with some trepidation, but mostly bemusement, at all the rumblings of a pending march on Washington, encouraged (some say incited) by our current President via Twitter, ultra-conservative news outlets, and (anti) social media outlets. To many Americans, albeit not a majority, January 6 represented their last chance to express protest of the results of the November election; the movement took on a life of its own, and hundreds of thousands of American citizens organized a march on the nation's capital. I figured it would be a repeat of the Jericho March a few weeks earlier, and that it would garner some airtime and some attention, but that it would be mostly harmless. Boy was I wrong. Epiphany.

Today I watched, for the first time in my life, the airing of the actual certification of the Electoral College votes--a tradition that goes back 232 years. My husband and I watched as Vice President Pence began the session in the House Chambers, calling on the states to announce whom their electoral votes supported, votes VP Pence would then confirm. First, Alaska announced their awarding of three votes for the Trump/Pence ticket, and Pence, after ensuring there were no objections, confirmed that announcement, and told the clerk to record it. I commented to my husband how neat it was that we were watching this process, something we had never before seen. Next, Arizona, and I again watched as the state elector announced their votes, this time for Biden/Harris, and VP Pence asked if there were any objections. This time, a Congressman objected, backed up by Senator Cruz, and officially objected to those votes, thus stopping the entire process. It was truly interesting to hear the explanation of the process, and what would happen next. Epiphany. 

No one, though, seemed prepared for what happened next (although they should have been). A peaceful march of citizens disillusioned with the outcome of the election, waving flags and wearing MAGA gear, was first just something interesting to watch, but the media was intent on making it into more than it was, using words like "riot" and "takeover" and "insurrection." According to them, the protest somehow morphed from a peaceful protest and expression of first amendment rights to a threatening storming and potential takeover of the US Capitol. What I saw? People marching peacefully, standing on the steps of the capital next to capitol policeman, waving flags, not guns, until I spied a few protesters in riot gear and camouflage and helmets breaking windows to get into the building. I almost thought they were part of the police force. Everywhere it appeared to be peaceful; folks actually in attendance were posting and tweeting their confusion over the media misrepresentation. Epiphany.

Soon, members of Congress were unceremoniously whisked away via underground tunnels and buses. The electoral confirmation was immediately halted. The DC mayor implemented a 6 pm curfew. The FBI and the National Guard were activated. Accusations were flying from both sides, and all the major media channels feigned surprise at an event that had been promised for weeks. The same media that quietly stood by and practically condoned the violence of last summer, excusing burning buildings and destroyed property and injuries and deaths and calling it all peaceful protest now called the gathering in DC a mob, a riot, an abomination, an insurrection. We turned off the TV, realizing there was no unbiased, objective reporting to be seen. Epiphany.

As I was eating dinner, I began to cry. I tried to not focus on what had transpired, the implication of what I had seen. I tried to believe in the goodness of people, that truth would win out, that all this would just be another expression of freedom of speech, and that voices would be heard, even if the outcome of the election was not changed. But it felt hopeless, and suddenly became clear to me what was happening. Truth was twisted, voices were silenced, drowned out by the echo chambers of reporters and the internet.  I cannot prove it. I am not even sure what happened. Other than, yet again, millions have been manipulated to believe what the world wants them to believe, to see what they want them to see. And all the protesting or trying to convince folks otherwise, is pointless. Epiphany.

I don't know what happened today, but intuitively I know it is not what the news reporters and social media would have you believe.  And no, I am not spouting some ill-founded conspiracy theory. Nor do I believe President Trump is blameless and innocent of manipulation. However, I do not trust the narrative being hawked by glib, well-dressed, talking heads posing as journalists. Today, Americans tried to express their support of their candidate, peacefully, and somehow that protest was hijacked by forces wanting to discredit everyone who refuses to subscribe to the secular rhetoric of a nation bent on socialism. But I guess that's what happens when  we make gods of money and power and fame, when we put self before others, when  we put our trust in earthly leaders instead of Christ, and when we worship the creation instead of the Creator. Epiphany.