After Christmas Day, my family took the ferry and drove to the arena in Surrey where our younger son Jah-bi’s hockey tournament was going to take place. It was like the star arose in our hearts on Christmas Day and followed our family all the way to where we were going and stopped above the arena.
And the highlight moment for me was this.
It was the 3rd round, and 26.1 seconds was left until Jah-bi’s team’s all efforts in this tournament would have to end. It was apparent that we lost by 2 scores against the other team. Except for the very first game, Jah-bi’s team would then have lost three games in a row.
The spectators and parents, even though this is a minor hockey game for kids, watch intently without losing sight of the puck when the kids are playing well, either holding their breath or cheering loudly, and support them just as fervently, albeit painfully, when things aren't going well. Yet, it is precisely in these moments that I find the most reflection and subtle inspiration. With only 26.1 seconds left, and the outcome almost certain, the kids still maintain their positions or go beyond to make the last shot, pass, or chase after the puck flung far by the opposition. Hustle, hustle, skate. Until the last 26.1 seconds, the kids have a reason to keep running.
Then it struck me. The puck is the star.
Watching a losing game to the end is painful. However, the resurgence of Spirit is in every moment, and what these players are building and creating is intangible. It’s not the score that goes up on the scoreboard but something immaterial. What they build up and create in those 26.1 seconds - the already risen star - is not about the present loss, but about the teamwork, spirit, newfound skills, and understandings that will be carried into the next game and beyond. They are creating something lasting, an intangible resurgence. Without it, what game are we playing?
What we are creating is
the star that rises in my heart,
the star that rises over each individual,
the star that rises over our community arena,
the star that connects us to another person,
and the star of their arena.
The star of Epiphany is not just about a visible light shining alone in the dark night, but about the intangible resurgence that blooms from darkness and a humble space. It's about the intangible world, understanding, dreams, history, and stories formed in God’s 26.1 seconds, in our life's 26.1 seconds.
May the 26.1-second puck, the star of Epiphany, continue to watch over you this new year, inspiring and empowering us all. May God's resurgence begin in all of us.
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