Glimpses of Glory

I’m an early riser, so sometimes I see things other people miss. For example, last fall I was astonished when from my porch, I saw a young man riding a bike down a deserted Charles Street at dawn –  with a twin mattress on his handlebars. A man on a mission. There was definitely a story there. It pays to keep your eyes open; sometimes you see things that will amaze you.

Early this morning, I witnessed something altogether different and more remarkable. I was drinking coffee alone upstairs when the den was suddenly suffused with an other-worldly pink glow. I raced downstairs, out the front door, and turned to the east, where the entire sky was aflame. The neighborhood was dark. I scanned in vain for someone with whom to share the moment. Pajama-clad and unashamed, I ran to the center of the street and snapped a few shots to preserve the resplendent view – but by the time I was situated, the crimson was dissipating. My photo was a poor reflection of a stunning experience. Two minutes later, it was an ordinary blue-sky morning. It had been an ephemeral display of unparalleled splendor, and if I had glanced away, I would have missed it.

I’m tempted to describe what I saw as the glory of God, although I expect what scripture calls the “glory of God” has more to do with God’s very essence than with his creation. But when my earth-bound brain sees something of such rare, indescribable beauty, the word “glory” just feels right. So perhaps we stipulate that the sky was not actually the glory of God but is perhaps a window into it.

I considered: this display of the brilliance of divine creation in the sky passed unnoticed by millions. What other transiently beautiful manifestations of God’s essence do we fail to comprehend because we are otherwise preoccupied?

The book of Job contains three chapters recounting the roster of God’s creations and how they  reveal his power and authority. Surely, none is greater than the pinnacle of God’s creative catalog – humans, created imago Dei – in the image of God himself. Created a little lower than the angels and endowed with reason, creativity, and will, the highest and most beloved of God's handiwork are uniquely gifted among God’s creatures to understand that we can choose how we act and react.

I’d like to encourage the church this week to cast our eyes toward our fellow believers and to look for moments in which a living creature made from dust and imbued with will chooses to speak glory into a broken world. Someone elects to show kindness to the one others overlook, to soothe the brokenhearted, to initiate healing in the midst of hurt, to sit with one who suffers. Take a moment to notice someone who chooses to engage rather than avoid an awkward, unpleasant person, or who chooses not to assert and insist when their rightful place in the grocery store line is taken from them. 

The Creator who made us is still making us; he’s not finished with his workmanship. Along with observing behaviors of others, this week consciously choose to allow God’s spirit to initiate an act of kindness through you. "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”  2 Cor. 3:18

The world, corrupted by sin, exists far from its Edenic state. It’s now the undeniable domain of heartbreak, suffering, trial, and desperation. Yet in quiet acts of holy kindness and compassion that serve as moments of mutual exhortation, we achieve a sidelong glance at the glory of the loving God who will victoriously set all things right again in his good time. But we must keep our eyes and hearts open to appreciate these acts for what they are. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col. 1:27

May your week be filled with glimpses of glory.

—Patti Summers