Reflection: "Shining Glory"Have you ever seen a science fiction movie about extra-terrestrial beings and noticed that the aliens all have bright shining lights behind them and they seem to “glow”?
Does that remind you of the way that Moses and Jesus were described, after they’d been in the presence of God? They had a radiance, or glow, about them. In our reading from Exodus, Moses even had to cover his face when he returned from the mountain, as it seemed to be putting the people off when they looked at him. In today’s Gospel reading Peter, John & James went up with Jesus onto another mountain, and they reported that his garments became dazzling white and that his face seemed to glow. Peter, in particular, doesn't really know what to do - so he suggests building dwellings (to honour Moses and Elijah). Was he reverting to the comfort of Jewish liturgy - from the Feast of the Tabernacles? Was he trying to busy himself with mundane things, so that he didn't have to deal with the extraordinary things that were happening right in front of him? Was he trying to contain the visions and put them in a box? Maybe to protect them from the elements? Or capture the moment in a medium that he could understand - symbolic bricks and mortar? I wonder if some of us might also undertake similar sorts of avoidance techniques to escape some things - even wonderful things - that we’re having trouble understanding. Then God's voice interrupts and completely overwhelms the 3 disciples, "This is my Son, my Chosen.” And God follows it with an emphatic identification of Jesus as the Messiah saying, "Listen to him." That imperative - "Listen, listen to him" extends all the way from that mountain top long ago, to all our present-day valleys, plains, cities, towns, neighbourhoods, and homes. “Listen to him” proclaims and highlights the glory of Jesus. The most sobering and agonising clue in this story, is the simple observation that we’re at a pivotal point in the gospel of Luke. Prior to this, Jesus was in Galilee where he engaged in his ministry - teaching, preaching, healing. Following this, Jesus makes his slow and inevitable way to Jerusalem, where he will encounter betrayal and death. The Transfiguration gives us a sort of “helicopter” view. On one side lies the Galilean ministry and on the other side lies Calvary. This holy mountain is the pivot point. In fact, just a few verses later, Jesus directly says: "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands" And a few verses after that, we’re told that Jesus "set his face to go to Jerusalem." The face that had shone with splendid brilliance in the Transfiguration conversation with Moses and Elijah, was soon to be set with purpose and determination towards God's plan of salvation. The Transfiguration was the point in God’s plan for Jesus, where he had to move on. Transfiguration glory shines on both sides of that point. It shines on his ministry to the poor and powerless, and it shines on his death and resurrection. Even more, Transfiguration points ahead to the time when the glory of Jesus will be fully revealed. And isn't that how it so often is with mountaintop experiences? The feeling is so grand, so ecstatic, that any attempt by us to control it - to put it in a box - is futile and we're compelled to yield to the power of the God force that fills the moment - a force so powerful that it can change our lives forever and even, as it did in the experience of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. – even change the whole of society. He said "I’ve been to the mountaintop," and even the people who lived in low-lying towns knew what he meant. The image of the mountaintop runs through the Scriptures as that place where the human experience touches the Divine, that symbolic place where God is present and mere mortals can catch a glimpse of ultimate truth. Have you ever had such a mountaintop experience? What insights did you gain and did that moment change your life? With that image in mind, we may fondly recall those mountaintop experiences that have happened on a retreat, or at a church camp, or upon some extraordinary achievement, or in some exotic destination - where the cares of this world seem to recede and we’re better able to understand who we are and why we’re here. Maybe, like me, you haven’t been so fortunate as to witness a transfiguration, or other miraculous event, when coming to a closer relationship with God. I’ll give you an example. Lynne & I are members of a Kairos prison ministry team and, during our time with the inmates, several members of the team will give a 10-minute talk, on a pre-determined subject, to those who attend the Program. That talk might be about the kinds of “Choices” we make, or a reassurance that “You Are Not Alone”, or an explanation of “Who is the Church?” During their talk, the team member is asked to share something of their personal testimony with the inmates. Some of these are very powerful witnesses for God’s love. Somehow, I’ve always felt that the super-low valleys and super-high mountaintop experiences of other team members overshadowed mine and, because I had not really suffered as a child, or been afflicted in some other disastrous way and trudged through the valley, that my experiences would not have the same impact on the participants, as those of others in the team. It took many years before I realised that it was just as important for those attending the Kairos programs to know that, sometimes, God also uses people who have lived relatively easy and straightforward lives. So, whether you’ve experienced the transfigured Christ, or just come to love him in other ways, you, too, can spend your life in his service, spreading the message of love and grace that he offers. My question is: are you ready to join the crusade, setting out on your own missionary journey, or will you just keep waiting for a personal mountain top experience to come and challenge you? The choice we have is ultimately ours – we’re assured that God will back us up and give us all the resources we need. I remember a wise friend of mine once saying: “The boat won’t steer if it isn’t moving, no matter how hard you wiggle the rudder.” By that, he meant that we need to be doing something - moving - before God can steer us in the right direction. So, it’s up to us to decide what it is that God wants us to be doing for his Kingdom on earth, start working on it, and then God will steer us in the right directions to accomplish what he wants from us. Many of us don’t think that we can do, or achieve, very much at all, but if we give God a chance to use us, we might be amazed at just where he will lead us. I ask you to give that some serious consideration, as you go about your daily routine next week. Try to determine where God is leading you and what he wants you to do with your life. It doesn’t need to be a momentous change. It might be that you just start with something small and let God build it up from there. May the answers you find in your talks with God be rewarding, both to yourself and others. And I pray that you’ll keep on shining God’s love on the world…………..Pastor Rick
1 Comment
Lena Beryl Blok
25/2/2022 11:47:47 am
Thank you Rick. I believe, that if in all our ways, we acknowledge Him, He will direct our paths. He will never forsake us.
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