Epiphany, What is it, and Why Does it Matter?

Epiphany, What is it, and Does it Matter?

What is Epiphany?

Epiphany is a Christian tradition that celebrates Jesus Christ. However, its importance and the date it is celebrated changes depending on Eastern or Western traditions. In Eastern traditions, Epiphany is celebrated on January 19th, representing the manifestation of Jesus as Christ. This occurs as a heavenly voice proclaims him as 'my beloved Son' (Mark 1:11) just after John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River. In contrast, Western traditions observe Epiphany not as an acknowledgment of a messiah but as the 12th night after his birth when the wise men were said to have delivered gifts to the infant. As such, is it always observed on January 6th.

Why Does it Matter?

Organizations working in the United States benefit from a separation of Church and State. However, their employees rarely completely separate their belief systems when they clock into their shift. Instead, many of them carry the beliefs they have come to hold dear with them through subtle expressions of their culture while at work. According to the Pew Research Center, 66% of US residents ages 30-39 identify as Christian, with the 40+ group coming in higher at 80%. These are the ages of our working class. While Pew goes on to point out that there are regional and political differences, it holds that leaders face a high likelihood that some of their employees identify as Christian today. Understanding the outside culture of the employee body helps to show an interest in them, creating bonds within the work team.

What Can Your Organization Do?

Most people welcome opportunities to talk about themselves and share what is important to them. Organizations can help team members learn more about one another by creating guided conversation opportunities where understanding our differences remains central to the conversation. The next step after sharing is to identify similarities within our differences. These might be in the sense of family or community that the festivities bring, the exchange of gifts, expressions of thankfulness, or even food only made for a particular celebration. Whatever the links between them, the conversation starts deconstructing differences and that can help a team move into or stay in the norming stage of performance.

Reference: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/09/13/how-u-s-religious-composition-has-changed-in-recent-decades/