Luke 9:35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”
I am chatty. I trade recipes in the grocery line and swap kid stories with moms on the playground. My husband and I talk a lot, and our kids learned to talk early. We have a lot of rules in our house about interrupting.
Perhaps for that reason, I understand Peter’s bizarre response to the Transfiguration. Having seen Jesus shining on a mountain with Moses and Elijah, Peter blurts out that it’s a good thing he and the others are there because now they can build three shelters! Luke adds ruefully that Peter spoke “not knowing what he said.” And, as often happens, Peter is rebuked. God in the cloud summarizes the situation with divine efficiency: this is my Son! Be quiet and listen!
Listening takes us beyond words—a tough place for me. We must learn to stop talking sometimes, even inside our heads, even about Christ; we must stop gathering theological thoughts like interesting pebbles or talking our way into the minds of the apostles. We should listen to holy words but even more importantly to holy silence. Words are great tools, but they keep us limited to concepts that words can express.
