Searching for Treasure
Finding and keeping alive faith in Jesus, present and resurrected
now in our time and space, can be like a pursuit of elusive treasure.
It's like searching the depths, since we don't see Jesus as clearly
as did his family and first disciples. Or so we think. In the Letter
to the Hebrews, we are delivered of this definition of faith: "Faith
is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not
seen." [11:1] The revealing of God to you and me is, more often
than not, a life-long discovering of God in subtle ways, often in
unexplored regions of our soul. We are caught in the tension of the
man Jesus-- born into our world, baptized with real water in the
Jordan River--and the Christ who rules over history, resurrected
at God's right hand in eternity. We have the evidence and we have
hope, but sometimes we lack conviction. It may be that the simplest
of methods yields the treasure we seek.

So I offer this suggestion: Take a few moments to sit still at the
beginning, in the midst, or at the end of your work days. Find
places that offer some respite from all that engages you, and say
a prayer like this one, asking God to be present to you:

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the
peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your
presence, where we may see your glory face to face: Through Jesus
Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
[The collect for Epiphany, Book of Common Prayer, p.214]

Who knows? We may just find God more present in and around us than
we ever imagined. The treasure we find may just make us wealthy
beyond knowing.
--From the essay "An Epiphany"
by The Rev. George Yandell

Read the essay in its entirety.