Change

Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen. Luke 9:28-36

This time of year, in the small town where my mother lives, an invasion of sorts happens. Monarch butterflies, thousands of them, collect in Cape May Point, before migrating en mass across the Delaware Bay and on to Mexico. It is a vivid season, trees festooned with hundreds of resting butterflies which, when the wind blows or a noise disturbs, flutter wildly in an explosion of color and wings. The town, for a small moment is transformed, changed, and a place that is already beautiful in many ways, becomes a new kind of beautiful which transfixes the eyes and the imagination.

The disciples were witness to a momentary vision of the beauty and reality of God's love present in their lives. They had a foretaste of the true nature of God's love and relationship to them through Christ. And the ultimate transformation would come at a great cost and one that Jesus was willing to pay. But he had an arduous journey ahead of him and God spoke to his heart and gave the disciples a vision of color and light that would hold them through the rough days ahead. Jesus was momentarily transformed to his true self for their sake, for their sustenance, for the strength for the journey.

Today, I ask God to provide me with strength for the journey, small moments of transformation that allow me to renew and recharge for the road ahead. All of us have times when the travel gets rough but in prayer and asking God finds ways to give us moments of color and light which strengthen us for the journey. I pray today that I might be strengthened for the journey so that I might bring strength and courage to others.