{"id":46178,"date":"2022-01-05T10:06:03","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T15:06:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/?p=46178"},"modified":"2022-01-05T10:06:06","modified_gmt":"2022-01-05T15:06:06","slug":"to-be-a-star-the-epiphany-of-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/to-be-a-star-the-epiphany-of-love\/","title":{"rendered":"To Be a Star, the Epiphany of Love"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by<\/strong> Rev. Dr. Am\u00f3s L\u00f3pez-Rubio, Dean, Evangelical Seminary of Theology, Matanzas, Cuba<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biblical texts: Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 71, Ephesians 3:2-6, and Matthew 2:1-12<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ah, the sad camels, the docile camels\u2026! They appeared in the mists, on the mountains.  They ignored their course, like their guides:  they traveled under the beautiful shelter of a star:  in the infinite night, a single lily…!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who were these mysterious travelers?  Priests or magicians; satraps or warriors?  The history of that time says that the Magi\u2026 Magi of which remote dynasties?  They never clarified its obscure provenance. But they were men full of superhuman faith.  Tired of waiting for the light in their countries, they said to themselves:  \u201cwe will go to meet it if it does not come to us.  The thirst for something divine yawns in the desert of our hearts.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This fragment of the poem “Jes\u00fas,”<\/em> by the Cuban poet, Agust\u00edn Acosta, serves as a preamble to our meditation.  We have no further information on those magicians, sages, or astrologers.  Matthew only tells us that they traveled from some region of the East to the small town of Bethlehem.  They traveled to pay honor and adoration to the baby Jesus who had been born, in whom they had recognized as the savior of the world.  Some think that this story corresponds to a natural and historical event.  Others suggest that this story should be understood as a kind of parable, a metaphor, an episode with symbolic meaning, and not historical content.  However, the most important thing is not to show whether what Matthew tells us happened or not, but to understand the message that the evangelist wants to communicate to us through this story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it seems that it would be better to speak of “messages” in the plural, not of a single message.  Each event can have several messages, depending on the people interpreting that event.  For example, in terms of religion, I have frequently heard the following question:  Why, if there is only one God, are there so many religions?  Second, suppose we limit ourselves to Christianity only.  In that case, the question is:  Why, if Christ is one and the Bible is the same, are there so many churches and denominations?  Someone rightly said that every point of view is the view from a point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The visitation of the wise men from the East to the child Jesus in Bethlehem has not escaped this reality of different interpretations.  There is even information added that is not part of the text, such as that they were kings and there were three.  What, then, are the messages that this story communicates to us?  One of them has been that the birth of Jesus is good news for all peoples and cultures.  This corresponds to other messages that we find in the Gospels about the universal character of the salvation that God offers us in Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A second message is that Matthew was showing the different positions that people had before the message of Jesus.  The Jews did not accept him as Messiah and Savior.  Still, the non-Jews, represented in the magi, did believe in him.  With this, Matthew exposed an actual conflict in the Christian communities of the first century, one between the more orthodox Judaism and the nascent opened space for people of different cultures, traditions, and social backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A third message stems from a distinctive element of the Gospel of Matthew.  It is necessary to demonstrate the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in Jesus.  In Isaiah, chapter 60, the restoration of the city and temple of Jerusalem is announced amid exile and longing.  The nations and their kings will come to Jerusalem and bring their treasures and riches, including gold and frankincense, abundant at that time in the kingdom of Sheba, in southwestern Arabia.  Psalm 71, a plea in favor of the king, expresses: “May the kings of Tarshish and the islands, the kings of Sheba and Seba bring him gifts and tributes.  Let all kings kneel before him!”  With certainty, Matthew recognized in the child of Bethlehem the fulfillment of the promises of a messiah who would bring the restoration of Israel with a government of peace, justice, and salvation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want to dwell on another of this story’s symbols as part of the many messages we can discover in the text.  The star that the magi saw in the sky, leads them to the newborn’s place.  Some have tried to explain scientifically and historically the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem.  There are theories such as the conjunction of several planets in 7 AD, the formation of a comet in 4 BC, or perhaps a supernova star that acquires a higher brightness than usual.  But the best way to understand the meaning of this star is in the testimony of the Scriptures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The symbolism of the stars is widely documented throughout the Bible.  The stars announce God’s plans: “God placed lights in the celestial vault to illuminate the earth by day and by night, and to separate the light from the darkness” (Gn 1:17-18); “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament announces the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1); and “The Lord determines the number of the stars, and names each one” (Psalm 147:4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the book of Daniel, Chapter 12, the righteous people for whom the resurrection is promised are compared to stars:  “The wise men, who led many in the right way, will shine like the heavenly vault; they will shine forever like the stars!” The prophecy that we find in the book of Numbers 24, verses 17 and 18, is undoubtedly the passage that most influenced the symbolism of the Star of Bethlehem.  Balaam spoke the prophecy regarding the future conquests of King David over the territories of Edom and Moab.  The text states:  “I see something in the future, I see something there far away:  it is a star that comes out of Jacob, a king that rises in Israel.  He will crush Moab’s head, he will destroy all the descendants of Seth. He will conquer Edom; he will seize Seir, who is his enemy.  Israel will perform great feats.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will also share at least three messages based on the rich symbolism of the star of Bethlehem.  First: it is necessary to recognize the signs of the times.  The Star that guided the wise men was a sign of the arrival of a new time of hope and salvation, not only for the Jews but also for all nations.  Those wise men looked closely and discovered a star sign among many who looked to the sky.  Not only did they have a closer look, but they were also looking for answers, paths, warnings, and solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus strongly criticized people who in his time could easily predict when it would rain but who could not discern the signs of the times.  To understand the times we live, we need to understand more what happens on earth than in the sky.  Today, many people are more concerned about what their zodiac sign will say next month than they are about their family’s problems.  In churches, there are people more concerned with knowing when the prophecies of the Bible will be fulfilled than with how they can best serve their fellow man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To recognize the signs of our time is to identify those stars just above the places we should be as a church.  It means offering compelling testimony of love, solidarity, and commitment to people who suffer injustice, violence, and marginalization.  Sometimes we discover these signs and become aware of the needs, but because of our fears and prejudices, we turn a blind eye.  But God does not call us to be blindfolded but to look, understand, and act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, we must show gratitude and commitment to those who have guided us on the path of life, people who, like the Star of Bethlehem, have guided us in our searches, anguish, hopes, and have helped us forge our Christian identity, to find our answers, to build a life with meaning, an evangelical vocation committed to living in our reality.  The stars also symbolize essential people in the Bible, such as rulers, kings, and church leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps those people we can identify as our stars are not, nor have they been, illustrious personalities. The important thing is to recognize them as such and give “honor to whom honor deserves,” allowing their lights to continue illuminating our present and future walk.  Each living being has its companion star in the sky, such as for the Inca peoples in South America.  They come to be like its second matter, established there by the Creator to ensure the conservation and increase of the species.  This belief of the Incas evokes us that beautiful image we find in the Letter to the Hebrews when it is stated that those who preceded us in faith make up a “cloud of witnesses,” accompany us and sustain us in the patient race of life, with the eyes on Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third:  it is necessary to become a star, to be a sign of the kingdom of God.  On this day, when we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, the manifestation of the glory of God to the world in the child of Bethlehem, Jesus, whom the Apocalypse calls the “bright morning star,” invites us to those who say to be his followers to be stars, to strive so that our life is a permanent epiphany, a manifestation of the love of God, of the life that God wants.  Jesus invites us, in the Gospel of Matthew, to be the light of the world, the same Gospel that tells us today the story of the visit of the wise men from the East guided by a star.  “You are the light of this world.  A city on top of a hill cannot hide.  Nor do you light a lamp to put it under a drawer; rather, it is held high to illuminate all who are in the house.  In the same way, make sure that your light shines before the people, so that, seeing the good that you do, everyone praises your father who is in heaven.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to global cultural and religious traditions, the Pole Star is the center around which the entire universe revolves.  Concerning this star, the positions of the other stars, navigators, nomads, caravanners, wanderers through the earth’s deserts, the seas, and the sky are defined.  It is called the “organic center,” “gate of heaven,” and “umbilical star of the north.”  Also, it is considered the principle from which everything emanates, the engine that moves everything, and the Chief Star around whom the rest of the stars gravitate as a court around the king.  It is the seat of the divine being to whom the universe’s creation, preservation, and government are attributed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But to be light, in the sense of the Gospel, is not to draw attention to ourselves.  On the contrary, it is a call to be humble, to illuminate humbly.  The challenge is not to become the Pole Star around which the universe revolves but the little candle in the house, around which friends and family can warm-up and can, at least, orient themselves so as not to stumble.  Being a Pole star is the ambition of the selfish and mediocre.  Being the candle of the house is the genuine desire of those who live the simplicity and humility of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Shine wherever you are,” says the chorus of an old hymn we sing.  Shining where we are is not taking over the scene, but being that light that can clarify the background and the setting in history.  It is the society where we live.  The lights are not outside the stage; they are part of it.  Their function is to understand better what is happening and illuminate the dark areas.  It is not to draw attention to the light but to the problem shown or made visible by that light.  The church’s contextual mission consists of being light in that place on the stage that corresponds to it.  It is not to become the play’s protagonist but to share that plot of life and history with other actors because life is diverse and complex.  On its stage, there must be room for diversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be an epiphany of God in our day is to shed light on the darkness.  First, to clear it on our obscurity and, then, to be able to shine on the nightfall of our neighbor, society, church, and the world.  Being a star, an epiphany of God’s love is a good reason and a beautiful invitation to start a new year.  Let me end the same way I began, with a poetic text.  This one is entitled “Offertory,” written by two Cuban friends and poets, Mirna Figueredo and Reinaldo Garc\u00eda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lord, I come to offer you the star of my days, the star that memory dictates, the fruitful ascendancy of the divine.<\/em>
Lord, the trifle of days, the splendor of approaching life, is the star that I give you.<\/em>
Take the minimum light, the illuminated grandeur, and be the joy, the perennial offertory that becomes life and again a star.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

May it be so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SER ESTRELLA, EPIFAN\u00cdA DEL AMOR.
Rvdo. Dr. Am\u00f3s L\u00f3pez Rubio
Decano, Seminario Evang\u00e9lico de Teolog\u00eda
Matanzas, Cuba<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Textos b\u00edblicos: Isa\u00edas 60, 1-6 \/ Salmo 71 \/ Efesios 3, 2-6 \/ Mateo 2, 1-12<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ah, los camellos tristes, los d\u00f3ciles camellos\u2026! Aparecieron entre brumas, entre monta\u00f1as. Ignoraban su rumbo, como sus guiadores: viajaban al hermoso amparo de una estrella: en la noche infinita una sola azucena…!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00bfQui\u00e9nes eran aquellos viajeros misteriosos? \u00bfSacerdotes, o magos; s\u00e1trapas o guerreros? La historia de aquel tiempo dice que Reyes Magos\u2026 \u00bfReyes magos de cu\u00e1les remotas dinast\u00edas? Ellos nunca aclararon su procedencia obscura. Pero eran hombres llenos de una fe sobrehumana. Cansados de esperar la luz en sus pa\u00edses, se dijeron: iremos al encuentro de ella, si no viene a nosotros. La sed de algo divino bosteza en el desierto de nuestros corazones.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Este fragmento del poema \u201cJes\u00fas\u201d, del poeta cubano Agust\u00edn Acosta, nos sirve de pre\u00e1mbulo para nuestra meditaci\u00f3n. No tenemos m\u00e1s informaci\u00f3n sobre aquellos magos, o sabios, o astr\u00f3logos. Mateo s\u00f3lo nos cuenta que viajaron desde alguna regi\u00f3n del oriente hasta el pueblecito de Bel\u00e9n para rendir honor y adoraci\u00f3n al ni\u00f1o Jes\u00fas que hab\u00eda nacido, en quien hab\u00edan reconocido al salvador del mundo. Algunos piensan que este relato se corresponde con un acontecimiento hist\u00f3rico y real; otros sugieren que este relato debe ser entendido como una especie de par\u00e1bola, de met\u00e1fora, un episodio de contenido simb\u00f3lico y no hist\u00f3rico. Sin embargo, lo m\u00e1s importante no es demostrar si lo que nos cuenta Mateo ocurri\u00f3 o no, sino comprender el mensaje que el evangelista nos quiere comunicar a trav\u00e9s de este relato.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pero me parece que ser\u00eda mejor hablar de \u201cmensajes\u201d en plural, y no de un solo mensaje, porque cada acontecimiento puede tener varios mensajes en dependencia de quienes son las personas que est\u00e1n interpretando ese acontecimiento. Por ejemplo, en materia de religi\u00f3n, una de las preguntas que m\u00e1s he escuchado es la siguiente: \u00bfPor qu\u00e9, si hay un solo Dios, hay tantas religiones? Y si nos limitamos solamente al cristianismo, la pregunta es: \u00bfPor qu\u00e9, si Cristo es uno y la Biblia es la misma, hay tantas iglesias y denominaciones? Alguien dijo, con toda raz\u00f3n, que todo punto de vista es la vista desde un punto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La visita de los magos del oriente al ni\u00f1o Jes\u00fas en Bel\u00e9n tampoco ha escapado a esta realidad de las distintas interpretaciones, incluso se han a\u00f1adido informaciones que no aparecen en el texto, como por ejemplo que eran reyes y que eran tres. \u00bfCu\u00e1les son entonces los mensajes que este relato nos comunica? Uno de ellos ha sido que el nacimiento de Jes\u00fas es una buena noticia para todos los pueblos y culturas. Y esto se corresponde con otros mensajes que encontramos en los evangelios sobre el car\u00e1cter universal de la salvaci\u00f3n que Dios nos ofrece en Jesucristo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Un segundo mensaje es que Mateo estaba mostrando las diferentes posiciones que las personas ten\u00edan ante el mensaje de Jes\u00fas, los jud\u00edos no lo aceptaron como Mes\u00edas y Salvador, pero los no jud\u00edos, representados en los magos, s\u00ed creyeron en \u00e9l. Con esto, Mateo estaba reflejando en su relato un conflicto real que ya exist\u00eda en las comunidades cristianas del primer siglo, un conflicto entre el juda\u00edsmo m\u00e1s ortodoxo y la naciente iglesia que abr\u00eda espacio a personas de diferentes culturas, tradiciones y trasfondo social.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Un tercer mensaje se deriva de un elemento distintivo del evangelio de Mateo y es la necesidad de demostrar que en Jes\u00fas se cumplen las profec\u00edas del Antiguo Testamento. En el cap\u00edtulo 60 del libro de Isa\u00edas, en medio de una situaci\u00f3n de exilio y a\u00f1oranza, se anuncia la restauraci\u00f3n de la ciudad y el templo de Jerusal\u00e9n. Las naciones y sus reyes vendr\u00e1n a Jerusal\u00e9n y traer\u00e1n sus tesoros y riquezas, entre las cuales se mencionan el oro y el incienso, abundantes por aquel tiempo en el reino de Sab\u00e1, en el sudoeste de Arabia. El Salmo 71, una s\u00faplica en favor del rey expresa: \u201c\u00a1Que le traigan regalos y tributos los reyes de Tarsis y las islas, los reyes de Sab\u00e1 y Seb\u00e1. Que todos los reyes se arrodillen ante \u00e9l!\u201d. Con seguridad, Mateo reconoci\u00f3 en el ni\u00f1o de Bel\u00e9n el cumplimiento de las promesas de un mes\u00edas que traer\u00eda la restauraci\u00f3n de Israel con un gobierno de paz, justicia y salvaci\u00f3n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pero quisiera detenerme en otro de los s\u00edmbolos de este relato de Mateo, y que a la vez constituye uno de los tantos mensajes que podemos descubrir en el texto. Se trata de la estrella que los magos vieron salir en el firmamento y que los condujo hasta el lugar donde estaba el reci\u00e9n nacido. Algunos han intentado explicar cient\u00edfica e hist\u00f3ricamente la aparici\u00f3n de la estrella de Bel\u00e9n, y se han propuesto teor\u00edas como la conjunci\u00f3n de varios planetas en el a\u00f1o 7 D.C, la aparici\u00f3n de un cometa en el a\u00f1o 4 A.C, o tal vez una supernova, estrella que adquiere un brillo superior al normal. Pero el mejor camino para comprender el sentido de esta estrella est\u00e1 en el propio testimonio de las Escrituras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El simbolismo de las estrellas est\u00e1 ampliamente documentado en toda la Biblia. Las estrellas anuncian los designios de Dios: \u201cDios puso las luces en la b\u00f3veda celeste para alumbrar la tierra de d\u00eda y de noche, y para separar la luz de la oscuridad\u201d (Gn 1, 17-18); \u201cLos cielos cuentan la gloria de Dios y el firmamento anuncia la obra de sus manos\u201d (Salmo 19, 1); \u201cEl Se\u00f1or determina el n\u00famero de las estrellas, y a cada una le pone nombre\u201d (Salmo 147, 4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En el cap\u00edtulo 12 del libro de Daniel, las personas justas para quienes se promete la resurrecci\u00f3n son comparadas a las estrellas: \u201cLos hombres sabios, los que guiaron a muchos por el camino recto, brillar\u00e1n como la b\u00f3veda celeste; \u00a1brillar\u00e1n por siempre como las estrellas!\u201d. La profec\u00eda que encontramos en el libro de N\u00fameros 24, versos 17 y 18, es sin dudas el pasaje que m\u00e1s influy\u00f3 en el simbolismo de la estrella de Bel\u00e9n. La profec\u00eda fue dicha por Balaam en relaci\u00f3n con las conquistas futuras del rey David sobre los territorios de Edom y Moab. Dice el texto: \u201cVeo algo en el futuro, diviso algo all\u00e1 muy lejos: es una estrella que sale de Jacob, un rey que se levanta en Israel. Le aplastar\u00e1 la cabeza a Moab, aplastar\u00e1 a todos los descendientes de Set. Conquistar\u00e1 Edom, se apoderar\u00e1 de Se\u00edr, que es su enemigo. Israel realizar\u00e1 grandes haza\u00f1as\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quisiera compartir al menos tres mensajes a partir del rico simbolismo de la estrella de Bel\u00e9n. Primero: es necesario reconocer los signos de los tiempos. La estrella que gui\u00f3 a los sabios fue un signo, una se\u00f1al de la llegada de un nuevo tiempo de esperanza y salvaci\u00f3n, no solo para los jud\u00edos sino tambi\u00e9n para todas las naciones. Entre tanta gente que mira al cielo, aquellos sabios observaron con detenimiento y descubrieron una estrella-signo. No solamente tuvieron una mirada m\u00e1s profunda, sino que tambi\u00e9n estaban buscando respuestas, caminos, avisos, soluciones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jes\u00fas critic\u00f3 con fuerza a la gente que en su tiempo pod\u00eda predecir con facilidad cu\u00e1ndo llover\u00eda, pero que no ten\u00eda la capacidad de discernir las se\u00f1ales de los tiempos, porque para comprender los tiempos que se viven necesitamos comprender m\u00e1s lo que sucede en la tierra que lo que sucede en el cielo. Muchas personas hoy en d\u00eda est\u00e1n m\u00e1s preocupadas por lo que dir\u00e1 su signo zodiacal el pr\u00f3ximo mes, que por los problemas de su familia. En las iglesias, hay personas m\u00e1s preocupadas por saber cu\u00e1ndo se cumplir\u00e1n las profec\u00edas de la Biblia que por saber c\u00f3mo pueden servir mejor a su pr\u00f3jimo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reconocer los signos de nuestro tiempo es poder identificar aquellas estrellas que se sit\u00faan justo encima de los lugares donde debemos estar como iglesia y ofrecer all\u00ed un testimonio eficaz de amor, de solidaridad, de compromiso con las personas que sufren cualquier tipo de injusticia, violencia y marginaci\u00f3n. A veces descubrimos esas se\u00f1ales y tomamos conciencia de las necesidades, pero por causa de nuestros temores y prejuicios nos hacemos los de la vista gorda. Pero Dios no nos llama a vendar nuestros ojos, sino a mirar, comprender y actuar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Segundo, debemos mostrar gratitud y compromiso con aquellos y aquellas que nos han guiado en el camino de la vida, personas que, como la estrella de Bel\u00e9n, nos han orientado en nuestras b\u00fasquedas, angustias, esperanzas, y nos han ayudado a forjar nuestra identidad cristiana, a encontrar nuestras propias respuestas, a construir una vida con sentido, una vocaci\u00f3n evang\u00e9lica comprometida con la vida en medio de nuestra realidad. En la Biblia, las estrellas simbolizan tambi\u00e9n a personas importantes como gobernantes, reyes, l\u00edderes de las iglesias.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quiz\u00e1s aquellas personas que podemos identificar como nuestras estrellas no sean, ni hayan sido personalidades ilustres. Lo importante es poder reconocerlas como tal y dar \u201chonor a quien honor merece\u201d, permitir que sus luces sigan iluminando nuestro andar presente y futuro. Para los pueblos incas en Am\u00e9rica del Sur, cada ser viviente tiene su correspondiente estrella en el firmamento, y vienen a ser como su materia segunda, establecidas all\u00ed por el Creador para velar por la conservaci\u00f3n y el aumento de las especies. Esta creencia de los incas nos evoca aquella hermosa imagen que encontramos en la Carta a los Hebreos cuando se afirma que quienes nos precedieron en la fe conforman una \u201cnube de testigos\u201d que nos acompa\u00f1an y sustentan en la paciente carrera de la vida, con los ojos puestos en Jes\u00fas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Y tercero: es necesario hacerse estrella, ser signos del reino de Dios. En este d\u00eda en que celebramos la fiesta de la Epifan\u00eda del Se\u00f1or, aquella manifestaci\u00f3n de la gloria de Dios al mundo en el ni\u00f1o de Bel\u00e9n, Jes\u00fas, a quien el Apocalipsis llama la \u201cestrella brillante de la ma\u00f1ana\u201d, nos invita a quienes decimos ser sus seguidores a ser estrellas, a esforzarnos para que nuestra vida sea una permanente epifan\u00eda, una manifestaci\u00f3n del amor de Dios, de la vida que Dios quiere. Jes\u00fas nos invita, en el evangelio de Mateo, a ser la luz del mundo, el mismo evangelio que nos cuenta hoy la historia de la visita de los sabios del oriente guiados por una estrella. \u201cUstedes son la luz de este mundo. Una ciudad en lo alto de un cerro no puede esconderse. Ni se enciende una l\u00e1mpara para ponerla bajo un caj\u00f3n; antes bien, se la pone en alto para que alumbre a todos los que est\u00e1n en la casa. Del mismo modo, procuren ustedes que su luz brille delante de la gente, para que, viendo el bien que ustedes hacen, todos alaben a su padre que est\u00e1 en el cielo\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

De acuerdo con muchas tradiciones culturales y religiosas en el mundo, se cuenta que la Estrella Polar es el centro alrededor del cual gira todo el universo. Con relaci\u00f3n a este astro se definen las posiciones de las estrellas, de los navegantes, de los n\u00f3madas, de los caravaneros, de todos los errantes por los desiertos de la tierra, de los mares y del cielo; se le llama \u201ccentro org\u00e1nico\u201d, \u201cpuerta del cielo\u201d, \u201cestrella umbilical del norte\u201d; es el principio de donde todo emana, el motor que mueve todo y el Jefe en torno al cual gravitan los astros como corte alrededor del rey. Es la sede del Ser divino al que se atribuyen la creaci\u00f3n, la conservaci\u00f3n y el gobierno del universo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pero ser luz, en el sentido del evangelio, no es atraer la atenci\u00f3n sobre nosotros y nosotras, todo lo contrario, es un llamado a ser humildes, a iluminar humildemente. El reto no es convertirnos en la estrella polar alrededor de la cual gira el universo, sino en la peque\u00f1a vela de la casa, alrededor de la cual los amigos y la familia pueden calentarse y pueden, al menos, orientarse para no tropezar. Ser estrella polar es la ambici\u00f3n de los ego\u00edstas y mediocres, ser vela de la casa es el deseo genuino de quien vive la sencillez y la humildad del evangelio de Jesucristo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBrilla en el sitio donde est\u00e9s\u201d dice el estribillo de un antiguo himno que cantamos. Brillar en el sitio donde estemos no es adue\u00f1arnos de la escena, sino ser esa luz que puede arrojar claridad sobre la escena, y el escenario es la historia, es la sociedad donde vivimos. Las luces no est\u00e1n fuera del escenario, son parte de \u00e9l y su funci\u00f3n es permitir una mejor visi\u00f3n de lo que sucede, alumbrar las zonas oscuras, no es llamar la atenci\u00f3n sobre la luz sino sobre el problema que esa luz est\u00e1 haciendo visible. La misi\u00f3n de la iglesia en el contexto que le toca vivir es ser luz en ese lugar del escenario que le corresponde, no es convertirse en la protagonista de la obra sino compartir ese guion, esa trama que es la vida y la historia con otros actores, porque la vida es diversa y compleja, y en su escenario tiene que haber espacio para lo diverso.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ser epifan\u00eda de Dios en nuestros d\u00edas es arrojar luz sobre la oscuridad, primero sobre nuestras propias oscuridades para despu\u00e9s poder alumbrar sobre la oscuridad de nuestro pr\u00f3jimo, de nuestra sociedad, de nuestra iglesia, de nuestro mundo. Ser estrella, ser epifan\u00eda del amor de Dios es una buena raz\u00f3n y una hermosa invitaci\u00f3n para comenzar un nuevo a\u00f1o. Y termino de la misma manera en que comenc\u00e9, con un texto po\u00e9tico, este lleva por t\u00edtulo \u201cOfertorio\u201d escrito por dos amigos y poetas cubanos, Mirna Figueredo y Reinaldo Garc\u00eda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Se\u00f1or, vengo a ofrecerte la estrella de mis d\u00edas, la estrella que dicta la memoria, la frutal ascendencia de lo divino.<\/em>
Se\u00f1or, la menudencia de los d\u00edas, el esplendor de acercarnos a la vida, es la estrella que te entrego.<\/em>
Toma la m\u00ednima luz, la grandeza iluminada y sea el gozo, el ofertorio perenne que se convierte en vida y nuevamente en estrella.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Que as\u00ed sea.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Rev. Dr. Am\u00f3s L\u00f3pez-Rubio, Dean, Evangelical Seminary of Theology, Matanzas, Cuba Biblical texts: Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 71, Ephesians 3:2-6, and Matthew 2:1-12 Ah, the sad camels, the docile camels\u2026! They appeared in the mists, on the mountains.  They ignored … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20221,"featured_media":46179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[],"topic":[20296],"region":[20059,20015],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTo Be a Star, the Epiphany of Love - Global Ministries<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/to-be-a-star-the-epiphany-of-love\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"To Be a Star, the Epiphany of Love - Global Ministries\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"by Rev. Dr. Am\u00f3s L\u00f3pez-Rubio, Dean, Evangelical Seminary of Theology, Matanzas, Cuba Biblical texts: Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 71, Ephesians 3:2-6, and Matthew 2:1-12 Ah, the sad camels, the docile camels\u2026! 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