what will your verse be?

One of my favorite commercials of all time debuted at the Super Bowl in 2014. I'm usually one of those football nerds who just wants to watch the game and mutes the commercials, but this time it was different. This commercial mesmerized me and captured my imagination. I kept hoping they would show it again later on in the game. Since then I have watched it many times.

It was a commercial for the new Apple ipad Air, and it featured the voice of Robin Williams from the movie "Dead Poets Society" along with images of beauty and wonder from around the world. The commercial ends with these words - "the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?"  

The commercial is affective and effective because it combines words and images together in a way that draws you into the story. But it's not just any story. It's not just Apple's story or the world's story. By the end of the commercial you realize that it's actually your story. "The powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?"

I believe the same can be said of Holy Scripture. You begin to read a passage of the Bible thinking that you are reading an old story about someone else. But as you continue to read and reflect, you begin to realize that this is not only God's story or man's story, it is also your story as well. It's about your sin, your grief, your pain, your loss - as well as your forgiveness, your freedom, your redemption, your restoration. 

It's kind of like a Disney Star Wars ride.  At first you think you are just watching a show - and then suddenly you realize that you are in the show as one of the main characters! Instantly you find yourself engaged in the action of a new adventure and a new way of seeing the world. This is what the Bible does to us as well - as we read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest God's Word. The Word of God, the Eternal Logos, Jesus Christ Himself is revealed to us by the power of the Holy Spirit, and pretty soon, God's story becomes our own. It's funny - we think that we're the ones who are reading and interpreting the Bible, but we soon discover that it is really the Bible that is reading and interpreting us.

Martin Luther writes in his explanation to the Third Article of the Creed, “The Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.” 

 This is what Epiphany, "the season of light", is all about. The first words God ever spoke were "Let there be light", and there was light, and it was good. That's how He began and that's what He has been doing ever since - making something out of nothing, bringing light out of darkness, creating life where there was only death. The Apostle Paul writes that "this grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." (2 Tim. 1:9)

One of our liturgies for evening prayer states - "enlighten our darkness by the light of your Christ." That is our prayer this week as Christmas turns to Epiphany - and December turns to January - and a new year and a new decade begin. Epiphany means appearing - revealing - manifesting - making known. It is the time when we take all of the gracious gifts we received during Advent and Christmas and let them shine for all the world to see.

By the light of a star and the light of God's Word, the Epiphany season proclaims that God's salvation in Christ has been manifested and made known to us and to the world. A new year awakens, a new day dawns, and the great and grand story of God's salvation in Christ, the greatest story ever told, begins to play itself out in the church and in the world. And as it does so it becomes our story too, as we are swept up into the divine drama to play our part in the narrative. 

The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be? What part will you play in God's great story of reconciling the world to himself? What are you going to do - now that God has taken care of everything in Christ so you don't need to do anything? Well, the 10 Commandments are a good idea. Your vocation is a good place to start. As Luther famously said, "God doesn't need your good works, but your neighbor does." 

"Now is the time of the Lord's favor. Today is the day of salvation."  (2 Cor. 6:2)

"Arise, shine, your light has come." (Isaiah 60)

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