It’s not a word — glory —that most of us use much on a daily basis, I suppose. It’s a bit old fashioned, perhaps, and reserved for a few special things. The wonders of nature tend to be “glorious,” and the flag of my country is sometimes referred to as “Old Glory.” At church we’re likely to hear and sing it often. We might think about “glorifying God” by our words and actions, but how exactly do we go about doing that and does God even need us to glorify him? “Glory, glory,” as some of my elders used to say in exasperation…where to begin?
So I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately for some reason. It’s been a busy week or two for me, as I had been asked months ago to give a couple of presentations that ended up falling just a few days apart. Although not exactly the same presentations, there were some similarities and repetitions between the two, including this lovely thought from the second-century Christian writer Irenaeus, who once wrote: “The glory of God is a human being fully alive.” What an idea! God is most happy — is in his glory — when we are fully alive.
And in yet another presentation this past week, this time to the students of St. Ann Catholic School where my daughter Jenny is the second grade teacher, I asked the students to think about — and challenged them to contemplate on — what it is that makes them feel most fully alive. What are they doing when they are happiest? It seems a simple question but of course it’s not. For the things that give us the most joy might not, in fact, be how we spend the majority of our days. Work can be…well…work, and many of us spend a huge chunk of our lives doing things that don’t specifically bring us joy.
And yet, this is still our call and we cannot escape it. We are called to lives of joy and purpose, wherever it is we find ourselves. Paul writes to the people of Corinth reminding them that, no matter what they are doing, no matter how they spend their days, they are called to a new standard as new creations in Christ: “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
We are called in our places of work to be the Christ that others might see that day. As we stop to eat and drink we are called to savor and enjoy the sustenance given by the creator and give thanks so that everyone around us understands there is something of God’s glory even in this sandwich, this slice of pizza, this helping of salad, this glass of wine, beer, tea, water…
Whatever it is we are doing, however mundane it may feel to us because we do it over and over each day without change or much pause, our call is to something greater, our call is to reflect back to the world the glory of God that is living in us so that others might see it also. We are called to teach and to serve no matter what our jobs or position in life, as Peter writes:
“Be hospitable to one another without complaining. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God; whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified…” (1 Peter 4:9-11)
Ask yourself in silence: What are you doing when you feel most fully alive? How can and do you reflect God’s glory in the way you approach your everyday life?
Special note: Some of my “readers” have become writers! From time to time I want to share with you a blog from which I think you might draw some new insight and inspiration. Today I want to point you toward the blog of a relatively new friend and new blogger Peter Knatt called Reflections in the Water. Peters hails from “the other side of the pond” as we say here in the colonies of America. His writing shows a deep sense of reflection on life as an Anglican Christian in his “wisdom years.” I invite you to visit, drink deeply from his well, and leave him a note to encourage him to keep writing. He has much to offer us all.
Peter says
A daily use of the prayer of Examen will help us here since one of the questions under the heading “Review your day” is ‘When did I love? Where did I give genuine love and charity?’ Should I perhaps have helped the old lady push her shopping trolley to her car or was I right to dash to my own as I had an urgent appointment elsewhere?