by Pam Tinsley

During a small church gathering in early August, a group of us were reflecting on the Feast of the Transfiguration and the glory of God that Jesus’ disciples Peter, James, and John experienced. We talked about our own desires at times to linger in “mountaintop” experiences, resisting the call to return to our sometimes-messy daily lives. So, when the facilitator asked us what “transfiguration” looked like in our daily lives, the conversation shifted to how our lives – even at their messiest – might glorify God.

One story was especially poignant. Cindy had accompanied a good friend for her first chemo appointment. Being diagnosed with cancer is distressing enough. The anxiety around one’s first chemo appointment is even more so. Because Cindy is one of those people who radiates God’s grace – and glory – in pretty much everything that she does, I can’t imagine a better person to accompany anyone to such an anxiety-inducing appointment!

But it turned out that Cindy’s friend was equally at peace with the infusion process. The two of them decided to give names to the infusion bags. The most potent chemo drug happened to be in a red bag, so they called it the Red Devil. They also looked around the room at the other infusion patients and quietly offered prayers for them.

Cindy then felt a sense of peace, light, and God’s radiance. The infusion room – which typically is a room filled with fear and anxiety – had been transfigured by God’s presence into a sacred space. Cindy and her friend savored the sacred moment together.

Pondering this story, our little congregation realized how God transforms us spiritually by God’s radical love. And, like Jesus’ disciples, we can’t remain on the mountaintop and bask in the radiant glow of God’s love. Instead, we are called to return to the messy world so that we, Christ’s body, might radiate his love and glorify God.