Do we dare to look?
This weekend we contemplate the
radiance of Jesus as he appeared to the apostles at the Transfiguration – Jesus,
the full splendor of God’s glory, God’s Light to the World. Do we see him? Do we dare to look at him?
The Book of Daniel gives
us the prophet’s vision of God: His clothing was bright as snow, and the
hair on his head as white as wool. And
God’s presence is marked by fire: His throne was flames of fire, with wheels
of burning fire. A surging stream of fire flowed out from
where he sat. As his Son appears before him, he receives dominion, glory, and kingship – the fire that is God’s light is also the light of the Son of man… Notice that more than one throne is set up: this Son
of man also seems to be the Son of
God, whose radiance, like that of his Father, will dazzle the world,
eternally. The radiance of God is
contrasted with the storm brewing in Psalm 97: Clouds and darkness are round about him… and God’s implicit light
is sufficient to make mountains melt before the Lord. It is the glory of God, God’s justice, that is made manifest here, causing the earth to rejoice, the islands, to be glad. God’s radiance, his
glory and might and majesty, surround us. Do we see them? Do we dare to look at them?
In Matthew’s Gospel, we
learn that Peter, John and James saw
Jesus’ glory, the concrete evidence of which is manifested visibly: his face changed in appearance, and his
clothes became dazzling white. Transfigured,
Jesus is not simply changed physically, though.
Rather, the divine brilliance that he always possesses shines through, breaks
through the shell of his humanity to dazzle
his spectators. Do they dare to look? Do
they understand what they see? Probably not:
Jesus’ brilliance is blinding. Yet, briefly, that brilliance is
perceptible to them, and it astounds them, moves them. The author of the Second Letter of Peter seems to
grasp the greater message of the Transfiguration when he says, We
ha[ve] been eyewitnesses to his majesty…
The voice that comes down from heaven confirms Jesus’ identity as Light:
God’s Word is a lamp shining in a
dark place, necessary to them, until
day dawns and the morning star rises in [their] hearts. Do we see him? Do we dare to look at him?
This is where God’s Word, Jesus,
must dwell for us: in our hearts, so that
we, too, can be eyewitnesses of his
majesty. Yet where do we find his glory?
How often do we perceive that glory, really? Do we have to be dazzled by
a bright light in order to know God is present?
Or can we perhaps train our eyes to open, so that we can see, can dare
to look for God, every single day?
We might start in our own
church: stare, for a moment, at the
candles on the altar -- allow them to remind you of the Light that is Jesus in
our lives, in Eucharist. Or, as we leave
the church and appreciate the blue sky, the birds in flight through it, the
sunlight on our faces… they, too, are glimpses of God’s glory… less shocking,
maybe, than the dazzlement of the Transfiguration, but still, glorious in their
simplicity. Look, too, for Christ’s
light in the eyes of someone you love, or, better still, in the shock of eyes
meeting yours at Mass, or in the street… That moment of connection can be
a sign of God’s presence through the Spirit, the flame that we acknowledge at
Pentecost, made real, concrete, in the eyes of another, transfigured.
The truth is, we never
really know when God will choose to reveal a glimpse of God’s divine glory, or
of the peace that is possible in our world… But if we open our eyes, we might
see it – if we dare, if we have the courage, if we are attentive to the many manifestations of the Lord of all the earth in our daily life.
Image source: Wordle
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