Dear Western Friends,

Greetings on Epiphany, the day we remember the Light of the star the magi followed to find the Christ child. It’s also the day we celebrate that Light in our own lives, a beacon at the beginning of our calendar year.

It’s also the turning of the year, when we take stock of who we have been and who we will become. We have a moment to look back at the past year and ask if we are measuring up to who we want to be – or better yet, who God calls us to be. We can set intentions for what lies ahead. As a church, we can ask how we will live into God’s love and justice more fully, more deeply.

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“I just wish I knew what to expect…”

I’ve heard this from different friends recently: someone with an uncertain diagnosis, a parent trying to figure out next steps for their child’s learning differences, a candidate for affordable housing in a new neighborhood. It’s human to want to know to what lies ahead.

Yet we find ourselves in a time of constant adjustment – changing health, fluctuation in world economies, the price of milk, the metro schedule, weather extremes, or a friend or family member’s call to let you know they’re sick. As much as ever, it’s hard to know what to expect.

This past Tuesday, we at Western had a new opportunity to see God at work at 24th and G Streets, NW. The two-alarm fire across the street at St. Mary’s Court was heartbreaking, chaotic, and tragic for those who were displaced…