In life, there are these holy, human moments of epiphany when the goodness our heart longs for is with us. We are so wrapped in goodness that we know, in our bones, what it means to be the beloved, what it means to worship the Beloved. It is natural that we want these moments to last forever.

In this week’s text, Matthew 17:1-9, Peter has such a moment. He experiences Jesus’ transfiguration up on the mountain and wants to set up tents so he can linger there with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. But the moment passes, and after the epiphany, he descends back down the mountain with Jesus and follows him to the cross.

Can you remember a time when you tried to cling to a goodness you had known? A goodness that passed, and left you descending back down the mountain into the reality of this broken yet beautiful world? A reality where faith falters and hope thins.

These epiphanies can nourish us as we descend. They leave us with gifts of goodness that reside within us. These gifts help us live inside the reality of life with wisdom and courage. This week, as we leave this season of Epiphany and begin our ascent into Lent, hold the goodness you’ve received and carry it, with courage, into the world.

Blessings, 

Rev Anne Baxter Smith