Face glowing

Here's this week's Bible study blog entry for i.ucc.org:


Have you ever experienced ‘face glowing?’ Maybe not in the same way it’s described in this week’s Bible reading from Matthew 17:1-9, but in more common, yet wonderful situations.

• The glow of a child's face as they open a birthday present
• The glow of a student who is walking up the aisle to graduation
• The glow of a bride or groom on their wedding day
• The glow of a parent's face when they see their new baby for the first time
• The glow of a parent or teacher who sees their student accomplish something they have worked on for a long time

I think that when you see someone "glowing" -- it's not something that is frightening. It's wonderful and awe-inspiring.

How about the glow of a person who has experience Jesus' unconditional love -- God's extravagant welcome?Is that one harder to see?

What if that person's face was physically shining?

Would you be startled? Would you feel uneasy? Would you freak out?

Imagine it -- "Hey Gloria, your face looks like it has a light bulb in it. What's going on? Are you going alien or something on me? Did you just get taken up in a spaceship? Or have you been hanging around the nuclear waste dumps? You are really glowing! I think you should see a doctor or something about it. And I think I want to move a little farther away from you."

Now what if you know you were physically in the presence of God's Glory -- like Jesus with his disciples on the mountain?

Would you fall on our face? Would you be overcome with fear?

What are your thoughts?