And Then, Suddenly, They Saw Him Differently

St. Andrew’s Family,

One of the interesting things about relationships is that you can know someone for years and still be surprised by them: A story you have never heard; an experience they have never shared; a side of their personality you somehow missed. Just when you think you have someone figured out, you discover there is more to them than you realized.

I wonder if the disciples experienced something like that at the Transfiguration.

By this point, they had spent a great deal of time with Jesus. They had traveled with him, eaten with him, listened to him teach, and watched him heal. They knew the sound of his voice and probably knew his habits and mannerisms. Jesus had become wonderfully familiar to them.

And then, suddenly, they saw him differently.

This is part of the gift of the Transfiguration. It reminds us that Jesus can be familiar without ever becoming fully known. We can spend a lifetime following Jesus and still discover something new about the depth of his love, the wideness of his mercy, or the mystery of who he is.

That seems especially important for those of us who have been around church for a long time. Familiarity can sometimes fool us into believing there is nothing left to discover. We know the prayers. We know the stories. We know when to stand, sit, and kneel. And yet God continues to surprise us.

Perhaps today is an invitation to remain curious about God. To keep listening. To keep wondering. Because after all these years, there is still more of Jesus to discover, and even more wonderfully, there is still more of Jesus waiting to transform us.

See you all, Sunday!

Peace and Grace,
Father Logan