By coming to his cousin John to be baptized, Jesus introduces a humility that reverses how things were thought to have been done. John says, “You should be baptizing me!” But righteousness is fulfilled by his agreeing to fully enter his role as baptizer of the Messiah.

Reflection, scripture, and works of art for the first Sunday of Epiphany. Christ comes into our lives as light itself, without fanfare: quietly, unexpectedly, in weakness, right into our disarray. Light has come into our humanity, showing us a new way to be human.

A 2023 weekly Epiphany series with reflection, scripture, art, and prayer.

An Advent poem.

How peace fits you!

How its ribbon of white

Garnishes your throat.

An Advent poem about light.

The phrase “staying on the hurt line” is from a classmate's mom in a class I took at the beginning of summer: Art in a Time of Crisis. What does it mean to remain on the hurt line? Is it somewhere between joy and pain? Is it a bittersweet truth that life is both hard and beautiful? Yes, yes, and so much more.

This poem reverberates of winters gone by, a mother’s memory of a fearless girl full of zest. Today she is an ever-changing beauty who teaches me about seizing life.

What's saving your life? From the fog, disillusionment, pain, uncertainty. What’s bringing you life, salvation, and hope? Someone asked that question in a small group I was in recently. For some it was mystery novels. For me, it was the Psalms and some sonnets.

In the tension of racial injustice and pandemic, it’s important to curate places of peace.

The kind that stills.

The kind that heals.

A poem about reconnecting as close as a pandemic will allow:

Smiles, big eyes.

How the heck have you been?

Delight of recognition,

A triad, a row of connection, through three car windows