And the light shone brightly all about them

And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him.” Matthew 17:10-12

Another thing that Hector touched on was the strand of time, which trips us mere humans up again and again, because The God Who Was, Who Is and Who Forever Will Be is not bound but unfettered. 

And one way that we are bound is that we allow the past to filter, to haunt our present–past hurts and unforgiveness and lies we believe about identity and who we can trust (no one) that we drag along clunking and clanging behind us like Marley’s ghost. 

Hector spoke of a stuffed back memory of his twelve-year-old self begging his dad not to walk away. But he did. And there is forgiveness like, “Yeah, I forgive you, again. Seven times.” And there is Forgiveness, as in Forgive-them-for-they-know-not-what-they-do Forgiveness. It-is-Finished Forgiveness. Done.  That is the only sort of forgiveness that allows me to live not in the spirit of rejection, but in the spirit of being a beloved Child of God who has received mercy and what a joy it is to offer the same that I have received, bubbling over and joyfully in the presence of love. Not even noticing when it has been done wrong.

And another way that we are bound is that we allow the fear and the unknown of what lies ahead to paralyze us, deer in the headlights.  We cannot see so we stand stricken.  All the What Could Be’s suck the Presence and daily manna Provision gratefulness right out of the moment. We weren’t created to know everything, but to know Him. His name is Jehovah, and He knows the end from the beginning; therefore His hand shall be over me.

And here on the mountaintop of transfiguration, restoration looks a lot different to the disciples that they had imagined. Jesus, ever aware of the Kingdom Come, saw things for what they were, for He saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven, the strong man was overcome in his own house, and the stronger man had taken from him all his armour wherein he trusted. And in this restoration it was possible to have a pleasant afternoon chat with Moses and Elijah.

May I live in this moment of “Have no fear,” because He has touched me and lifted me up, to be about My Father’s business, this restoration. The restoration that has already taken place. This “will be made” is not future tense in Greek, but rather present future tense, the action has already taken place and will continue for eternity. 

And the light shone brightly all about them.