Collar

I looked at one of my white dress shirts a few days back. It seemed a little worse for wear. It had all its buttons and it even fit well, but the collar, something that used to be as bright white as the shirt, was no longer, uh, dazzling.
 

I’ve tried special “ring around the collar” laundry detergents.  I’ve tried bleach. I’ve asked the cleaners to pay special attention to the discolored collar.  I’ve even tried some of the “miracle white” type “amazing” detergents.

The collar was, and still is, no longer dazzling.

I bought a new shirt. It looks nice.  And I’ve gotta say that the collar is . . . dazzling.

In this week’s Bible reading from Mark 9:2-9, Jesus went up on the mountain with Peter, James, and John.  While they were up there, Jesus didn’t get a new shirt.  Instead, his clothes became dazzling white – like no detergent, bleach, laundry specialist, “miracle white” detergent, or even a new shirt could become.

What did it mean? Peter had no idea. I think he saw the dazzling Jesus and said the first thing that he could think of that didn’t sound completely off.

“This is good – let me help everyone feel at home.”

I love that Peter’s first thought was about hospitality in a situation that was unnerving, surprising, and terrifying.

I wonder if he asked if he could get a new shirt, too- or at least a way to make his clothes look like that.