Epiphany Glory: It's Good for You

The research is clear: Being a sports fan can be a good thing. Perhaps this is why we get an upbeat feeling when we encounter the words "arise, shine, light" and "glory" in this text.

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (v. 1).

Arise. Shine. Light. Glory.

Let’s look at the last two words first. We all want light in our lives, especially during these dark winter days. Six days ago, we had only 9 hours and 20 minutes of daylight. But the days are getting slightly longer, and by the end of the month we’ll have 10 hours of light each day.

But what about glory? The prophet Isaiah tells us that “the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (v. 1). We want glory as well, but it is not as clear as daylight. Just exactly what is glory, and where can we find it?

Glory is majestic beauty and splendor, such as the glory of bright stars on a crystal-clear winter night. We say that we give someone glory for producing a gorgeous work of art. We sometimes experience glory as a bright and powerful light, such as when shepherds were living in fields around Bethlehem, and “an angel of the...