Epiphany

We commemorate today the journey of the three wise men to where the infant Jesus lay. They brought him gifts of frankincense and myrrh. Through a dream, they were advised not to return to Herod and they went back to their respective homes through separate ways. Epiphany is from the greek word for "manifestation". And it is easy to understand why the wise men could no longer simply return to their previous lives after witnessing a manifestation of such profound magnitude.

The call to change ourselves is an ancient one. Through the secularization of the democratic processes, we have become thoroughly wary of mixing religion with politics. In the US, ever conscious of the separation between church and state, school prayer, celebration of religious holidays, symbols such as the ten commandments have become proscribed.

But do these various religions have proprietary rights over truth, justice, preferential assistance to the poor and weak, dignity of labor?