John L’Heureux is a former Jesuit priest and a prize-winning author who has taught at several American universities and for many years has been Professor of English at Stanford University. In one of his poems, “The Trouble with Epiphanies” (1968) he reminds us that this is God’s world and that, as Jesus indicated (Matthew 25:31-46), he can be encountered in the daily experiences of life if we are sensitive to his presence in our world and life and can look beyond the places and circumstances in which we expect God to appear. Often God comes in the interruptions and surprises of the day. Where did you see Jesus today? Where did you have an epiphany that made you aware (or now makes you aware as you reflect on it) of God?
Christ came into my room
and stood there
and I was bored to death.
I had work to do.
I wouldn’t have minded
if he’d been crippled
or something—I do well
with cripples—but he
just stood there, all face,
and with that d—ned guitar.
I didn’t ask him to sit down:
he’d have stayed all day.
(Let’s be honest. You
can be crucified just so often;
then you’ve had it. I mean
you’re useless; no good
to God, let alone
to anybody else.) So I said
to him after a while---
well, what’s up? What do you want?
And he laughed, stupid,
said he was just passing by
and thought he’d say hello.
Great, I said, hello.
So he left.
And I was so d—ned mad
I couldn’t even listen
to the radio. I went
and got some coffee.
The trouble with Christ is
he always comes at the wrong time.
--John L’Heureux, “The Trouble with Epiphanies” (1968)
