Holy Interruptions and Epiphanies

First day back in the office after nearly two weeks out of the office. And I have the "Sand Mountain Crud." And I have to get ready for the Epiphany service tonight. So the emails start flying; to the Diocese about Bishop Parsley's visit; to outgoing vestry members about nominations; to the Budget committee about Pledges and budgets. Then home for some chicken soup. Back in the office, and I have just enough time to write a sermon for tonight.

Then cometh the interruption, the thing I hadn't planned on squeezing into my overcrowded day. "Father David, I have an 18-year old boy in my apartment right now, and he needs someplace to sleep tonight."

"Why," I sigh.

"He got a ride from Decatur with some friends to visit some other friends in Albertville. But those friends have moved. And the friends he came with have left him. His name is Charlie. I found him outside our dumpster, trying to get some sun."

So, I call the Kings Inn. The Albertville Minister's Fellowship has a "Good Samaritan" fund . Patty graciously agrees to come back to the office and type up the letter confirming that the Fellowship will pay for a night's stay. Russ comes by with 18-year-old "Charlie" to get the letter. He's called the Downtown Rescue Mission, and they will get Charlie to Huntsville tomorrow.

From there, his family might get him from Decatur. Or he might get plugged into the assistance network in Huntsville. We have done what we could. In the words of the Southern catholic novelist Walker Percy, we've listened to Charlie as best we could, and handed him along a ways in his dark journey. But today, at least, we saved Charlie from freezing to death.

Tonight is "Twelfth Night," the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany, commemorating the visit of the Wise Men to the Christ Child. "Epiphany" is a Greek word meaning "manifestation." On the Feast of the Epiphany, we celebrate the manifestation of the Son of God to all the peoples, represented by these Wise Men from the East. In that Holy Interruption, my epiphany has already come.