And just like that, the excitement of Christmas is over. The presents have been opened; the nativities have been performed, and the endless carols sung. As quickly as it arrives, it leaves, and we move on to the next thing. I’ve recently seen some shops even starting to put out Easter eggs!

It’s easy for us to move on to the next thing and leave behind all that Christmas means to each one of us. However, in the Church, we have entered the season of Epiphany.

To have an epiphany is to have a great idea, or a moment of clarity, usually when we least expect it. Often in those quiet moments: when we are out for a walk, driving in the car, or even in those mundane moments - doing the washing up, or having a shower.

When our minds have the space to wander and the external distractions of the world are removed, there are opportunities for moments of clarity and understanding.

The Greek origin of the word, Epiphania, means to reveal or to make visible what wasn’t seen before. In the Church, we use this time to reflect on the moment God entered the world as Jesus and read the stories in the Bible of those who went to find him.

At Christmas, Christians celebrate Christ coming as the humble baby Jesus. He was born to parents who would have been considered outsiders in society. This season reminds us to continue to search for what isn’t always obvious at first but has often been there all along.

In the Bible, we learn how the Magi, who were people who studied the stars, saw one particularly bright star, and dropped everything to follow it. This led them to the greatest and most incredible revelation in the whole of history: the birth of the baby Jesus.

The star was there for everyone to see, but only a few followed it, and for those who did, their lives were changed forever.

I believe that God still speaks and reveals themselves to us today, but we need to take the time to listen. We need to give God time and space to speak to us, which isn’t always an easy thing to do. In this noisy world, simply listening is an act of faith.