A question I am often asked is how can we best nourish our faith so that it will shine from our lives. There are many resources for this, from this devotional booklet, to the depth of the prayer traditions from church fathers and mothers, to the latest books on spirituality for introverts, extroverts, teens and seniors.
However, today’s reading reminds us that our role is not to shine continuously, for that is both impossible and frightening to others. Moses’ face shone when he shared God’s words with others, but at other times, he had to cover his exuberance so as to live in ordinary situations. For people to see the gospel at work in us they need to see not only our shining hope, but also witness that our faith is rooted into God’s love that sustains us even in darker times of struggle, grief and pain. Thus we can proclaim a true gospel message: God does not depart when the light does but stays through the night.
You use dark and light, depth and height, breadth and width, Holy One, to love, grow and nurture our lives. Help us to proclaim your presence and power in our lives, in both exuberance and endurance, like Jesus, whom we follow. Amen. — LCS