Glimpsing Glory

In Anglican churches tomorrow, the Sunday before Lent, the gospel reading is about the Transfiguration of Jesus. You can read Luke's version in Luke 9: 28-36.

The story describes a 'mountain-top experience', a high point of wonder and awe as God gives Jesus' closest friends a glimpse of who Jesus really is. Then they have to go down the mountain and through the hard places, to the point where eventually all sense of glory completely disappears and they are plunged into the desolation of the cross. There is a reason why this story is read just before Lent. It is rich food for the journey - it takes a lot of chewing over in an attempt to digest what it means.

I'd like to share with you a poem that has helped me in thinking about how the Transfiguration fits into the whole story of Jesus. 5 years ago, on her blog 'what the tide brings in', Ann Fontaine published a poem on the Transfiguration. I love it so I quote it in full below or you can read it here.

Tiny star 

of morning.

Born in the 

smallest of stables

spreading from manger

to shepherds

to magi

to beloved

to teacher.

Expanding out

into the universe.

Calling everyone and everything

home to the heart of love.

Transfiguration reveals

what was always there:

A supernova exploding

into our hearts and minds.

Now we feel the black hole

tugging pulling dragging us

into that heart

in our journey through Lent

to the fullness of Easter.

For previous posts on this theme see
Glimpse of Glory
Awestruck
Awesome
Transfiguration

Image Credit: Hugo Quintero on Flickr, CC License