Changed

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and, in those days, told no one any of the things they had seen. Luke 9:28-36

A brief glimpse of the glory, power and true nature of Jesus was all that the three disciples had. A moment of wonder and terror, this moment of transfiguration, gave the disciples a taste of the true divine nature of their friend. His relatives showed up in this moment and they were no other than Moses and Elijah, as well as the voice of God. Most of us rarely have mountaintop experiences, nor do we get glimpses of the Holy in our midst. Too often we see the gritty meanness of humanity. And yet, today, we are invited to see beyond the mess and cruelty of our times, knowing that we are all relatives of the living Creator, the God who blesses us all, even in the midst of the terrors of our lives.

Wondrous Creator, you speak words of love to all

even when we cannot hear you speaking and sighing

we can trust you are with us in the middle of our lives

and we can know we are your beloved children.

The pain of daily living can often overwhelm us

the hurt and losses drag us down to the depths

sorrow and cruelty surround us in these times

and we forget that you are still speaking today.

Open our ears and our heart to hear your voice

change our vision so we might see your beauty

help us to know the strangers as our siblings

and live trusting in your loving and holy presence. Amen.