Love of Glory

While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
“He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. John 12:36-43

We have had a great time in Colorado visiting with old friends and seeking out old haunts. Much has changed, and the world has expanded so much that little is the way it once was. The dear friends have not changed though. We were talking to musician friends last night about how easy it is for some people to lose themselves to their stage persona and revel in the glory of all that attention, while losing their real self. How easy it is to believe the hype and forget our humanity...and we all agreed that true wealth and fame is in honest relationship and the strength of humility.

Jesus is encouraging folks to be faithful while realizing the political tugs that kept them from faith. He quoted the prophet Isaiah as a lament for their loss, and their unwillingness to see their own blatant needs. They would rather be with the in crowd, the ruling class, the cool kids, the club, the winners, the wealthy and famous - rather than have their hearts and minds transformed in a living relationship with a loving God. Our human frailty is subject to such vanity that we believe that being with the in-crowd will make is happy. God offers us healing and love and we would toss it aside to be temporarily accepted by mere mortals.

Today, I ask God to help me live without vanity and pride, and to seek first my relationship with my Creator and with all of creation. May all of us be accepting of our humanity and grateful for the love and healing given by God. May we not be distracted by shiny, short lived glory but be made whole by our humility and service in the love of God.