Being holy is a major theme of the Ancient (Old) Covenant (Testament) and is found in all manner of texts in Torah and Prophets. It is tempting (for some) to see such concerns as no longer relevant. However, the New Covenant (Testament) texts do have an interest in holiness. The word "holy" occurs a great deal in the Bible. [One survey found 637 times in 567 verses of the New King James version of the Bible.] The first mention in that Bible is in Exodus when God tells Moses he is standing on "holy ground." Holy modifies anything which is consecrated to God or special to God. It is arguably one of the primary concerns of the entire covenant for Israel. However, the call to be holy or the declaration that the people are "a holy people" is the most important use of the term. Except for the other major theme: God is the Holy One. This is especially prevalent in Isaiah, but it is one clear message about God throughout the Hebrew Scriptures.
The word holy appears most often in the New Testament (Covenant) as a modifier of Spirit, especially in Luke&Acts. Yet there are some references to the Ancient Covenant understanding, for example in I Peter 1:15-16 we read (twice) that because God is holy we are to be holy (he quotes the text from his Bible for emphasis). Picking up on biblical themes in 2:5 he calls the church holy priests and in 2:9 a holy nation; both are Scriptural references to Israel which he now applies to the church. To be holy is to belong to God and it is also to reflect God's nature. That process of that reflection is a theme of this time of the liturgical year. Epiphany is a season of light. It is situated in a time of darkness (winter), thereby expressing a theme of hope. Light in the darkness is a big deal. [It is an even bigger deal in places without light bulbs and artificial lighting.] Most of us know the feelings of 'oppression' stemming from the endless gloom of winter. It has been tied, in many studies, to depression. The symbolism is natural.
Where does the light come from in a season of darkness? In the natural order the sun and stars are light sources. In Genesis the sun is called the greater light. There is a second, a lesser light, which rules the night. We call it the moon. In fact, the moon is a light source, but its light is not self generated. The moon is a source of light to us because it reflects the Sun. The SON is also the light source. His light is the light which illumines the darkness around us (sin, suffering, hopelessness, death, all that ails us). Our faith is that in Jesus we are redeemed, He is the Messiah Savior of the people of God. All the stories and promises in the scriptures of the Ancient Covenant find their meaning in Him. We, you and I, are the moon. When we let our light shine it is an act of reflecting His light. How do we reflect light? By our deeds of kindness and our words of proclamation. When we act like servants of the Kingdom of God (doing mercy and justice) and when we announce that God (in spite of all indications to the contrary) does exist, does care and will definitively act on our behalf (popularly called "save us") we bring light into darkness.
When someone moans, "I hate the gloom of this time of year" we can remind them, "Spring will come, and then summer and long days of glorious brightness." This is an act of faith. It is based on assumptions that the world will continue as we have seen it in the past. It is reasonable to believe and trust that January darkness will give way to May's bright promise. It is also reasonable to believe that the Creator God, revealed in the Ancient Covenant and New Covenant in Christ will also fulfill the promises He has made. So we act today like the promise of tomorrow is a sure thing. And our actions reflect the values of that coming Kingdom.
This should shape or buying and selling, how we spend our time, our talents and our treasure. It impacts who we spend time with and why, what we read, look at and ponder. It impacts our future plans and our personal agendas. Kingdom people, shaped by the Ancient Covenant and its fulfillment in Jesus, are people who love, honor and serve others because they love, honor, and serve the Lord. And the sooner we get around to doing it the better off the world will be!
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