Wednesday Whimsy: Epiphany

For Christians, Epiphany is the celebration of Christ’s revelation to the gentiles – at its heart is the idea that salvation is for all not just for the Jews. Without this revelation, Christianity would remain just another cult of Judaism spluttering along in the wake of orthodox Jewry.

However, you’ll be please to know that I’m not about to morph into a theologian or to start suggesting that you’re all headed for hell and damnation (are we still allowed to do that?). Instead, I’d like to explore the idea of epiphany and whether that idea of taking something from within a closed world and revealing it to all remains important.

In secular terms we use epiphany to mean:

“…a sudden intuitive leap of understanding, especially through an ordinary but striking occurrence.”

We an all think of great examples of this occurring - Isaac Newton watching an apple fall to the ground or Robert Bruce observing the spider’s efforts. But it seems to me that we do not train minds to make the most of epiphany – we’re trained to think in straight lines, to solve the problem before us, to eschew daydreams. We reward consistency, reliability and systems thinking and worry about the risks that come from slightly flakier approaches.

None of this is to do what too many want to do – to push aside the scientific method in favour of some nebulous “soft” approach to experiment, measurement and research. But we need people who ask whether we can approach a problem from a different direction. Revelations – epiphanies – can be wrong but that isn’t the point.

At the heart of all this is the eternal question – what does it all mean? The Christian message offers an answer revealed to us at the Epiphany. But I do not think we should stop looking – like most people I do not see epiphany in religion but its antonym. I see the stifling of thought, the crushing of innovation, the rejection of independence.

…but the idea of epiphany: the sudden realisation of a truth. I like that idea and am clawing it back from organised religion’s clutches.