Sunday, December 7, 2008

The Delight is in the Details










Fueled

by Marcie Hans

Fueled
by a million
man-made
wings of fire--
the rocket tore a tunnel
through the sky--
and everybody cheered.
Fueled
only by a thought from God--
the seedling
urged its way
through the thicknesses of black--
and as it pierced
the heavy ceiling of the soil--
and launched itself
up into outer space--
no
one
even
clapped.






Some people notice things, others don't.
And we don't all notice the same things. But some people allow themselves to be captured by their curiosity, and they discover things. Moses was captivated...

There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up."

Some shepherds were captivated...

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

What captivates you?

Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.


Stop. Contemplate. Be transfigured!




2 comments:

  1. I like the theme here about what captivates mankind. For some it's God, for other Nature, other humans, or events. And, in lots of ways, aren't these things interconnected? :)

    I would agree that when we find the things that captivate us and really stare into them, we do walk away glowing, inspired, and I'd dare to go as far as saying that we become better. A small part of us reflects that curiosity and wonder, and that's beautiful.

    Thanks for the food for thought! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Just really beautiful.

    I love how you found the connection between Moses and the Christmas shepherds, and were able to say something so very meaningful about it.

    ReplyDelete