Everything shines in the presence of God. Jesus often retreated up a mountain or into a desert wilderness when he wanted to pray. The problem that most of us have when we try to pray is our minds suddenly fill with all the things we ought to be doing. Why does that happen? Because human beings prefer to be ‘doing’ rather than just ‘being’. It is drummed into us from childhood that if we are good then we do all the things we have been told to do. Sitting, day dreaming is seen as being lazy! And being lazy is not good. I wonder how many shopping lists have been composed in church. I suspect millions.

The interesting thing in the account of the Transfiguration is that when faced with God’s shining presence and stillness, Peter responds shall we build three shelters? The account doesn’t tell us but I bet John and James were nodding their heads in agreement.

In other words we are exactly like those three disciples two thousand years ago. Every follower of Jesus has had to learn how to cease trying to do things in the presence of God and learning just to be quiet and be. The reality is, of course, that sometimes we succeed and often we don’t. Don’t judge yourself and feel guilty because God doesn’t judge us. Why do I have the feeling that God finds it amusing as we try to pray in silence and then our minds wander, then we try again and guess what? Our minds wander! If we succeeded every time just think how arrogant we would be and how much we would take the credit. That would be the end of humility. As we are about to begin Lent we are about to witness the total humility of our God in Jesus Christ.

So keep trying to be silent in the presence of God who is with us and loves us. All he wants us to do is to keep trying. As Dave Allen used to say: “may your God go with you”.

The Revd Father Andrew Lane SSL