As the Magi move with purpose, so must the church

This Sunday, the church celebrates Christ’s Epiphany, a word that means “manifestation, vision or revelation.” To be more specific, this Sunday celebrates the manifestation of Christ to the Gentile world, who are represented by the magi who come from the East to pay homage to Jesus. The magi ask themselves, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising” (Mt 2:2). This Sunday’s Gospel, first reading, and psalm each testify powerfully to a time when the Gentiles will come from all corners of the earth to meet their king, savior and anointed one. 

In this Sunday’s second reading, however, Paul addresses the whole church and reminds it of another revealed truth. What he reminds the Ephesians, and to us today who remain open to this inspired word, is that the mission of the church is to go out and meet the world. The promise of Christ belongs to all people, especially to those outside Israel. Only in today’s second reading does one find an emphasis on going out to encounter folks outside of the church, while the other readings emphasize the world coming towards Christ. Both are necessary, but only one is the mission of the church, whose duty will always be to look outside of itself.

Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians has a powerful reminder “that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body and co-partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Eph 3:6). The good news of Christ belongs to all equally. There are no “outsiders” or “insiders.”. 

In the thought process of Ephesians, the hope is for a unified church, and that it be “on the move” with purpose. Later in this letter, the Apostle to the Gentiles speaks of “seven unities” that are held together by a bond of peace. Paul lists them as “One body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all” (Eph 4:4-6). The task is monumental, maybe even idealistic. Paul finds in his own calling a need to also unify Israel and the nations. This must derive from Paul’s own conviction for his unique vocation. “To me,” says Paul, “the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ” (Eph 3:8).

There is always a temptation in the church by some of its members to look inward, to drop an anchor to steady themselves in the midst of a “secular tempest.” Someone might think to themselves perhaps that a smaller more faithful flock will counter the growing trend towards hedonism or the central focus on human progress as the ultimate reference point. To a certain extent, for those who think this way, there is some truth to this sort of narrow thinking about the mission of the church. After all, even Paul admits a need for a greater sense of unity within the practicing faithful. Moreover, no one doubts the growing trend of divisive politics within US society that has entrenched itself in the church today. So, it is not wrong for the church to undertake a good self-examination and address our divisions in Christ rather than our unity in Christ. 

On the other hand, the goal of the church is to look outside of itself. There is another way of thinking about this. In the past, the missionary mandate to go out and baptize all led to a mandate for conversion of souls. A hope for conversion still exists today even though the language might be softened. St. Francis of Assisi’s maxim, for example, to preach the gospel always and if necessary use words, is attractive to a contemporary setting. But the purpose of the church today, and perhaps since the beginning, is to meet people where they are and enter their cultural matrix. This becomes the task for any genuine ambassador of Christ’s lasting peace. This, too, is what the Epiphany represents, the fact that peace has entered the world and those outside of traditional faith traditions, those who are not Christian or Jewish, are nonetheless coheirs to this promise. 

Some might think at this point, “Thanks but no thanks. You keep your religion to yourself and keep your proselytizing to yourself.” To this way of thinking, Paul has a simple response: “It was given to me for your benefit” (Eph 3:2). Paul, a Jew, has given the rest of his life to non-Jews. The church continues the mission Paul began, to give of itself to those outside of her. Whether this is carried out with or without words, the church has moved outward with purpose ever since God first made the decision to dwell with us.