Day 17: Blinded By The Light

My dad walked over to my office around lunchtime today. We drove down to South campus and took a little hike in the woods. The snow was crusted over from the recent storm; we were the only ones around.

As we walked, we reached a point where we hiked up a hill and were in an open field. Everything was white. So bright. When I got back to my office my eyes hurt from squinting. It took a little while for my pupils to go back to normal.

It made me call to mind the gospel reading from this past Sunday: the story of the Transfiguration in Mt 17:1-9. It's a peculiar story, one that obviously shows Jesus' manifestation of glory, his full divinity, but a story I never really connected with for some reason, or gave much thought to. Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a high mountain by themselves.

"There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light."

Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus

"Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."

But when the voice of God comes to them from a cloud saying "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" they fall down, terrified. When they arise, there is no one there but Jesus.


In our house, we have a saying: God is #1. Before all things. M.I.P (Most Important Person)

"Daddy, I love God more than you," David said to me tonight, hoping maybe I would get upset.

"That's good!" I say.

"Mommy, I love God more than you," Monica says, mimicking her brother.

"Yes, that's right!" Deb replies.

It's our effort to not put God equally alongside others, just one tent among many: Job, family, bills, God, sports, school. When we do this we are like Peter wanting to set up little houses for each thing, not knowing what we are saying. No, God first, all things in their rightful place following that.

Every now and then we will experience those moments of transfiguration in our lives when we are utterly blinded by God's glory, get a taste of the afterlife for a very brief moment. I don't think we could handle much more, for those are 'mountaintop' experiences reserved only for close friends of the Lord. They remind us that Jesus is more than a good teacher, a noble ethicist, a prophet or a king. He is God made manifest in the flesh...and he LIVES!

"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

(Col 1:17)