This Egret gives glory to God by being an Egret.
Today’s scripture readings focus on Moses’ experience of the Divine on Sinai and Jesus’ experience of the Divine on Tabor. The light shining forth from Moses’ face was an indication of the divine glory. The change in Jesus’ face and his dazzling bright clothing also was a manifestation of the divine glory (shekinah, doxa). God’s glory is ultimately enshrined in the Ark of the Covenant and then the Temple as a sign of God’s presence. God’s glory was enshrined in both Moses and Jesus.
Creation is the primary revelation of God’s glory. As Merton said, “A tree gives glory to God by being a tree.” All creation glorifies the Creator as it flares forth from the original energy of the divine stardust.
We too are created in the image of God. God’s glory shines forth in us and through us. The eastern Church had a better grasp of this. God became incarnate, human so that we might become divine. God hovers over us as light and names us as God’s precious children. The Spirit is transforming us into divinity. We become more like God—loving, merciful, and compassionate.
In recent conferences, both Richard Rohr and Matthew Fox said that light is the primary metaphor for God. In the 12th century, the Benedictine nun, Hildegard of Bingen, now a saint and doctor of the church, understood this, “The compassion of the grace of God will make humans light up like the sun.” (Scivias, 84) Twelve centuries later, Benedictine Trappist monk, Thomas Merton also got it, ““There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.” (Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, 153)
We light up like the sun and we walk around shining like the sun. The Spirit is transforming us as Moses and Jesus were transformed on Sinai and Tabor. We are light. In fact, Jesus said we are the light of the world and reminded us that He is the way, the truth, and the LIGHT! We are light. We are stardust glowing and flaring forth from the Creator. God dwells within us even more powerfully than God ever dwelt in a temple. We are, as Paul says, temples of the Holy Spirit. We live the very Spirit of the Risen Cosmic Christ as we dwell in the community which is the Body of Christ. We are beloved sons and daughters with whom Abba God is well pleased.
Shine on!!! Glory on!!! Manifest the glory of God by being what you can become—being fully human as the tree is fully tree.