Magic Eyes and the Transfiguration - August 6

Today’s Readings: The Transfiguration; AM Psalm 2, 24; Exodus 24:12-18; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6; PM Psalm 72; Daniel 7:9-10,13-14; John 12:27-36a

Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration. When I was in elementary school, one of the popular books were those “Magic Eye” books filled with colorful dots. If you looked at the page just right, a three-dimensional image would suddenly appear. I remember being so frustrated because everyone around me seemed to see something that I couldn't. Then, almost without warning, my eyes adjusted, and what had looked like random patterns suddenly revealed something that had been there all along.

The Feast of the Transfiguration reminds me of those books. On the mountain, Jesus doesn't just become someone different. Maybe for a brief moment, Peter, James, and John are given eyes to see who he has always been. The veil is pulled back, and the glory that has been present all along shines through in a way that they hadn’t seen before.

Several months ago, a parishioner was seeking council about an employee who had done something quite dishonest and certainly illegal. I was trying to be pastoral and wasn’t quite as generous about forgiveness as the conclusion this person arrived at. I’m glad they didn’t take my advice. And actually, they taught me something about forgiveness and how our faith can change the way we see other people, and how we see the situation we are in. 

In today's Gospel, Jesus says, "Walk while you have the light." Light does more than brighten our path; it teaches us to see what was hidden in the darkness. Faith is not merely about acquiring new information. It is about allowing God to transform our vision so that we recognize the holy that has been with us all along.  This helps us to see dignity or possibility where others miss the picture.  Thanks be to God.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection: Where might God be inviting you to look again today? What ordinary person, place, or moment might reveal God's glory if you slow down long enough to truly see?