Once upon a time, January 6 after an election year was like any other day. Americans went off to work following a season of New Year festivities, and civil servants in the halls of government performed their administrative duties to usher in a new presidency.
Now, January 6 is synonymous with the events that took place in 2021 at the U.S. Capitol. Those events resonated with me in particular because for eight years prior to January 6, I worked in the halls of Congress. I had worked with and for the representatives and senators who were running for safety. The halls and chambers of what had been my workplace were under attack by people who sought to undermine the proceedings of our democracy.
Four years later, what lies before us is once again a new year, a new Congress, and a new presidency; yet the bitter implications of January 6, 2021, remain in the shadow of our history.
What would it take for Christians to redeem a day whose memory evokes pain and injustice for so many? Perhaps the answer can be found in examining the Biblical story that this date represents in our church history.
Before January 6 stamped itself in America’s history with darkness and death, the day historically represented hope and restoration. Traditionally, January 6 is observed by the church as Epiphany, known by some as Three Kings’ Day. This day marks the end of the Christmas season when the church recognizes the visit of the kings, or wise men, after Christ is born in Bethlehem.
It’s a story rich with symbolism representing what Christ’s birth meant for humankind. As the well-known Christmas hymn “O Holy Night” tells us, it’s the moment when Christ appears that “the soul felt its worth.” Matthew 2 tells us that the wise men traveled from around the world to arrive before Christ, and they didn’t come empty-handed. The three gifts the wise men bring symbolize three important truths that we as Christians can reflect on as we work to redeem this day in American history.
Christ rules over all. Among the gifts from the wise men is gold, brought in recognition of Christ’s kingship. Reflecting on this symbol in light of what happened in 2021 reminds us that all kings, emperors, prime ministers, and presidents are under God’s rule.
As ruler over all things, it is God — not our political leaders — who will have the final judgment on all we do, including the destructive acts that took place on January 6. The opinions of those around us will not matter when we come before God on the day of final judgment. We who are in Christ can rest in knowing that God is a just God. No evil deed that’s been done to us or in our nation will go without consequence.
Christ is present with us. The wise men also bring frankincense. This was traditionally used in the temple as a burnt offering to God. Its presence before the infant Christ is a symbol of his deity. The Christmas hymn “Silent Night” echoes this truth when it describes Jesus as “Lord at thy birth.”
But how does Christ’s deity bring hope to a day as dark as January 6? Christ’s miraculous conception and birth represent the power of God’s might on full display. To know we serve a God who put on human flesh to draw us closer to himself reassures us that the hardships of our human experience will not be without his presence and the fullness of his power. The totality of our human experience, including past tragedies, occurs in a world where God has made himself known.
God isn’t an absent God, but a God who is present with his people — comforting them in the darkness. In Matthew 28, Christ reassures us of this when he says, “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Death is not the end. The wise men lastly bring myrrh to give to Christ. Historically, myrrh was used to embalm the bodies of the dead. Its presence at Christ’s birth is a symbol of his future sacrifice. We now know this as his death, resurrection, and our salvation. Through his death, we are saved. The instability that comes with acts like what we witnessed on January 6 can bring with it anxiety and fear about the future. As Christians, we know death and destruction never get the final word.
We must always consider our present moment in light of Christ’s salvation. We have nothing to fear about the future — whether it be instability or death itself. Isaiah 9 describes what our future with Christ will be like when the prophet writes that “the government will be on his shoulders.” Christ will reign over his kingdom, “upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.”
The end of our story has already been written. Can we get through the murky, painful middle while holding onto Christ? At the end of Charles Dickens’ well-known “A Christmas Carol,” its main character, Scrooge, has a dramatic change of heart about the holiday. Reflecting on it he says, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
In the same way, in light of all the division we’ve experienced and all that might be yet to come, we redeem history by remembering and exalting Christ in the midst of it. Our painful past, even our worst day, doesn’t get the final word. Through Christ, we can step into the future without fear.
Dominique McKay spent nearly a decade in public service in Washington, D.C. Her work included service as a communications director in the U.S. Senate and as the deputy communications director for the Office of the Senate Majority Whip. She attends McLean Presbyterian Church, serving in the church’s missions ministry.