There are transfiguration moments in everyday life that can absolutely stop us in our tracks with the glory of Christ’s presence: The smell of a new baby. Flowering trees blooming in the spring. The embrace of a friend when we need them most. Voices were raised in cries for justice. The bravery of difficult conversations. The sacred minutes just before death. It may not be Jesus in dazzling clothes or a visit from the ancestors on a mountaintop. Still, by God’s grace, we perceive the love of Christ shining brightly in these ordinary yet holy moments.
    When they happen to us, what are we to do? When in the presence of the holy God, it can be difficult to know quite what to say. Peter, grasping at straws, offered to make three dwellings. You can’t blame him—we all make weird choices when terrified! But a voice came from heaven: “Listen.” It is not necessary to do or say anything. This moment is simply a gift. Our job is only to listen to Jesus.
    Have you ever spent time just listening? Maybe outdoors, on a hike, or in a park—listening to the sounds of creation. Or during a quiet moment in worship—the sound of cars driving by outside, your neighbor breathing, or your heart beating. Perhaps you have listened compassionately to a loved one who didn’t need advice but needed to be heard.
    As people accustomed to doing, we can find it challenging to just listen. We may have learned that it is important for us to have something to say, something to offer, something to provide. But the good news of grace is that Christ’s love has come to us even before we could do anything. That’s why we baptize even helpless infants. That’s why, when we come to communion, we do so with hands outstretched and empty, ready to receive: “This is the body of Christ.” All we can do is listen... and say, “Amen.”

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