Epiphany and the Upside-Down Way of God

Epiphany is not a quiet season. It is the Church’s way of saying that God’s light does not stay hidden. It breaks into the world, exposes what we would rather ignore, and invites us to see differently. And once we begin to see differently, we are asked to live differently.

One of the most surprising things about Jesus is not simply what he teaches, but where he begins. He does not launch his ministry from centers of influence or places of political control. Instead, he steps into everyday places, shorelines, villages, where people work, and speaks about God’s reign as something already close, already unfolding. Then he look at ordinary people and invites them to follow him.

This choice matters. It reveals something important about the kind of kingdom Jesus brings. Empires depend on power, control, and visibility. It moves through force and hierarchy. But the way of God moves through relationship, trust, and transformation. Jesus does not recruit the impressive. He calls the available. He gathers people who know long days, tired hands, and uncertain futures. In doing so, he shows that God’s work is not reserved for the elite. It is entrusted to the everyday.

That truth carries weight in our own time. We live in a culture that still measures worth by influence and success. We are surrounded by messages that tell us that change only happens when the “right people” take charge. But Epiphany keeps pointing us back to a different story. God’s light spreads not through dominance, but through faithfulness. It grows when people choose to respond to God’s call in small, steady, courageous ways.

This is not always comfortable. Light has a way of revealing what we would rather keep in shadow: our habits of division, our comfort with unjust systems, and our tendency to protect ourselves instead of our neighbors. Following Jesus is not about maintaining the status quo. It is about being reshaped.

That is why the Church’s call is not simply to believe the right things, but to become a people formed by Jesus’ way of love. We are invited to move beyond spiritual spectatorship and into shared responsibility. The promises we make in baptism; to seek Christ in all people, to resist evil, to work for justice and peace, are not symbolic gestures. They are commitments to live differently in a world shaped by fear and competition.

At Trinity Church, this Epiphany invitation is close to home. Our life together is not built only on Sunday mornings or special events. It is built on ordinary acts of faithfulness: showing up, listening deeply, praying for one another, offering help when it is needed, and choosing compassion when it would be easier to turn away. These quiet practices are where God’s light often shines the brightest.

Epiphany also reminds us that we do not carry this work alone. We are not asked to generate light on our own. We reflect what we have received. We gather for worship to be recentered in God’s presence. We share meals and stories to strengthen our community. We step into service because Christ has already stepped toward us.

There is something deeply hopeful about this. God does not wait for perfect people or ideal situations. God works with what is real: real lives, real struggles, and real questions. The invitation is not to become extraordinary before we are called. The invitation is to let God do extraordinary work through ordinary faithfulness.

As this season continues, it may be worth asking: Where is Jesus already standing in your life, inviting you to follow? What familiar place is becoming holy ground? What small step of courage or generosity is being placed before you?

At Trinity, there are many ways to take part in this shared calling; through worship, formation, service, and simple presence. Your participation matters more than you may realize. The Church is not built by power alone. It is built by people who choose to walk in the light, even when the path feels uncertain.

Epiphany does not belong to the powerful. It belongs to the willing. And in God’s economy, that is where true transformation begins.

Kevin+