Epiphany Is Queer Revelation

Today is Epiphany, the day on the church calendar that celebrates the arrival of the magi. Epiphany is the queerest of all Christian holidays.

The Magi are the least expected people in God’s story of salvation. They are foreigners, spiritual outsiders, astrologers. They read the night sky instead of authorized texts. They follow intuition, curiosity, and wonder rather than doctrine or certainty. They see what those closest to religious tradition miss--the Christ child is revealed first to those who live beyond the boundaries.