AUDIO MEDITATION:

Alexander Ivanov (Russian, 1806-1858), Transfiguration. Public domain.

FULL TEXT:

When Peter sees Jesus transfigured, he calls out, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Peter recognizes this moment as sacred and wants to stay there—he wants to hold on to it and dwell in it.

In this painting, we can see Peter reaching into the light, touching the transcendence of this glorious moment, pointing to it and trying to hold on to it. We experience the divine in much the same way—we go about our daily lives and once in a while, God breaks through and the radiance of divine life shines on us. Our instinct is to hold on to those moments of gratitude, awe, and wonder, but eventually we have to come back down the mountain and step back into our routines.

How might we point to and hold on to the sacred moments in our experience when God’s holy presence has broken through to us?