transfigured

“Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.  And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white” (Matthew 17:1-2).  The churches who follow the Revised Common Lectionary recognize today as the Transfiguration of the Lord.

In a moment, Peter, James, and John were confronted by a sight they had never seen­­­—Jesus glowing with a fierce intensity.  Mark says that his garments glimmered with a brightness, “such as no one on earth could bleach them” (9:3).

I suppose it’s only appropriate that we have a less-than-dramatic imitation of transfiguration.  Last night, the weather was warm and rainy.  (By “warm,” I am speaking relatively!)  This morning, we awoke to ice, and now, a steady snowfall.  The whiteness of the landscape doesn’t compare to the glory of God in the face of Christ, but for right now, it’s enough to be a reminder of what today is. 

(The images are of our transfigured—and still transfiguring—part of the world.)