Glow

This Week's Readings (Revised Common Lectionary):

Monday: Exodus 34:29-35
Tuesday: Psalm 99 (UMH 819)
Wednesday: 2 Corinthians 3:12–4:2
Thursday: Luke 9:28-36
Friday: Luke 9:37-43

Exodus 34:29-35 (NIV)
²⁹ When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD.

³⁰ When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.

³¹ But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. ³² Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.

³³ When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face.

³⁴ But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, ³⁵ they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.

Moses' face "glowed" because he had been in the presence of Yahweh. Take a second and really imagine that. It's an unbelievable, very-hard-to-understand kind of thing.

In fact, it was so confusing that for a large piece of Christian history, the passage was misinterpreted from the ancient Hebrew. Because of the mistake, Michelangelo depicted Moses with horns on his head.

I've met folks who had "horns," and they definitely didn't glow with the presence of God.

But I have met some wonderful people who truly do seem to shine.

They are people who honor others. They are the people who have built such a connection to God, over time, that they've come to truly trust in his love, no matter the circumstances. They are people who exude...peace.

I've never seen them "glow" with physical, divine light...but there is no doubt that time spent in the presence of God gave them a different kind of presence in this world.

I can only imagine that the glow surrounding Moses gave him a particular authority when he delivered God's commandments. What if we could give similar authority to those who "glow" with the love of God in our lives?

Too often, we easily blow past such people, considering them too soft or slow or weak. The truth is, their grace and peace is the most powerful force in this world. It could transform us, if we take the time to listen, and really see.

Perhaps, with enough time, and with attention to the presence of God, we might even take on a little shine ourselves.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

Tomorrow's Scripture: Psalm 99