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Thursday, March 02, 2006
A Glimpse of Heaven -- On Earth
Psalm 50:1-6; Mark 9:2-9
Jesus took his three favorite disciples up a mountain to sit a spell and pray together.
After a while, right before the eyes of Peter, James, and John, Jesus' face began to shine like the noonday sun! And his clothes turned whiter than Calvin Klein's highest priced dress shirt!
Lacking polarized sunglasses, the disciples hid their eyes. But not before they saw two other men sitting side by side with Jesus. These new guests turned out to be Moses and Elijah back from the dead.
And they were talking over with Jesus what would soon be happening -- like, his death!
Well, enough was enough. So God dropped a cloud over the scene, the disciples blinked, and suddenly -- Jesus was alone again. And on low beam.
Peter impetuously (his usual modus operandi) said, "Lord, this is fantastic! Wait till we tell everybody what just happened up here. Why, there'll be pilgrimages from the four corners of the world. I know, let's build three shrines so people can bow down, pray, maybe even leave an offering or two -- or, better yet, three!"
Or words to that effect.
God had another idea. "Listen to Jesus. Follow his lead. He's the One I'm working through now."
How disappointing.
So Peter and his pals had to go back down to sea level with Jesus, and get on with their real mission in real life.
But, you know, in an instant they could be right back up there anytime they needed -- through the gift of sanctified memory.
On a blissful summer afternoon... Bouncing on storm-swept waves in a flimsy fishing boat... Staring temptation in the eye... Stirring awake at 2:00 in the morning in a cold sweat....
Back up there on the mountain-top.
God gives us sanctuaries by surprise along our pilgrim way. And forever after, they're there for us to revisit just when we need them most.
My wife had to endure a few MRIs a year ago. Facing that noisy claustrophobic experience, she determined to go back in her mind's eye to the wee island of Iona. There, just off the western coast of Scotland, she and I spent a magical couple of hours on our silver anniversary victory tour.
Talk about your holy ground! It was the toehold of Christian missions in ancient Scotland. At the modest old abbey there, even today daily prayers are said, psalms are sung, lesson are taught. All in pursuit of peace for all the world.
In real time, we were there 120 minutes or so. In God's timing, we're there in a flash, whenever our spirits thirst again for its priceless gift of serenity.
Peace be with you.
posted by Jack Buckley at
4:37 PM
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