Thoughts for the Day

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honour and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, 'This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.' We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

As we grow up we are usually taught the family history from older members - how our parents met, or where they were brought up as children. We learn the family stories all that happened before we were born, and they become part of our history which we pass on to our children.

In my family the main story was how my mother and her family emigrated to Costa Rica in 1910. Family history says that my Grandmother who was dressed in formal Edwardian dress had to get onto an ox cart and travel for three days before ending up at a one room shack, where she and her five children and husband lived until the wet season, when another room was built. My grandfather took over down-trodden estates, and after improving them moved onto another.

With regard to the second letter of St Peter, there has been discussion for centuries as to whether this was written by Peter himself, or by Jude at his instruction. 2 Peter and Jude have many similarities. In the end our confidence lies in the power of its message to change us and its agreement with other apostolic teaching. When the writer of 2 Peter says "We have been eyewitnesses" to God's voice from heaven at the Transfiguration, saying "This is my Son, my beloved", it is a simple choice - do we believe these words - that Jesus is the Son of God, or not?

Heavenly Father,
give us the confidence to believe
in the words of the writers
of the New Testament,
and in their witness
to Your Son, our Lord.
And may we have the confidence
to pass on to others what we have heard
of Your plans for our world.
Amen.