Epiphany

Epiphany Haibun

Stranger Things hints at dimensions that are closer than our own breathing. The mood is dark, sinister and compelling. The world as we thought we knew it is transforming. Thin places once hinted at glorious light. Now they also open hazards, concurrently concealing and revealing the dread of the yawning abyss. Yet another dimension, moreContinue reading “Epiphany Haibun”

Exploding lightNever yet seenBut always therewhen eyesight is keen Wandering strangersTracking a starEnd up at a mangerafter coming so far. Arising from waterBeard dripping wetHe walks from the river his pathway is set The wedding at Canain full celebratory swinghas run out of winean unthinkable thing. A guest at the partynotes all those aghastWords overContinue reading “Epiphany”

‘Twas the Twelfth Day of Christmas

He expanded his repertoireAs Parump-a-Pum-Pum grewHis unique gift to expandTwelve drummers give due. Now twelve days is upThe New Year begunEpiphany’s hereAs bright as the sun! (c) Dennis Ryle January 2025

Thirteenth Day of Christmas

Thirteenth day of Christmas! Is there such a thing? There is a parody verse that is sometimes added to the well known 12 days song. The beloved is so overwhelmed by the noisy, messy menagerie of gifts that she wants to return them!There is a little known “13th day” observation that observes the day followingContinue reading “Thirteenth Day of Christmas”

Reclaiming Epiphany

Down under, we are in that part of the year “when nothing happens.” Christmas/New Year is done and decorations are being boxed and put away. While a few are returning languidly to their daily labours and many are still enjoying the long vacation, many wait with bated breath for the contentious date of our officialContinue reading “Reclaiming Epiphany”

“I see you”

“I see you.” This meme from the movie Avatar did the rounds for a few months. It seemed to be nourishment for a collective hunger in a world which had descended into anonymity and a penchant for the kind of efficiency that codes citizens by number rather than name. It was a kind of epiphanyContinue reading ““I see you””

That strange in between time when Epiphany bursts forth

Some call it the silly season. Its those first few weeks of a southern hemisphere January. The office is quiet. I’m at work making use of the downtime from the regular weekly program to engage in some tidying up and planning for what must take place in my final six months here – and beyond. There isContinue reading “That strange in between time when Epiphany bursts forth”

The twelfth day of Christmas… Epiphany!

Tradition usually has the visit of the magi with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh on the final day of Christmas, heralding the season of Epiphany, the celebration of a manifestation, that in Jesus, all that needs to be known about God is revealed. The gifts of these 12 days comprise this epiphany. The challengeContinue reading “The twelfth day of Christmas… Epiphany!”

The question of the year

When my friend and colleague Denis returned from interviewing survivors of the Christchurch earthquake one year on, he noted that a common question was “Where is God in all this?” Denis reflected that perhaps the more pertinent question is “Where am I in all this?” It neatly swings us to a fresh line of questing,Continue reading “The question of the year”

Jesus is baptised – why?

I remember visiting this site some years ago, but what I recall is the question that I am most often challenged to answer than the details of the geography or “sense of place.” The question arises again this Sunday as the season of Epiphany leads us to ponder the events surrounding Jesus’ baptism. Why didContinue reading “Jesus is baptised – why?”