The scripture phrase that grabbed my attention today comes from the psalmist (26:8): “Lord, I love the house in which you dwell and the place where your glory abides.” Where the psalmist pictured the abiding place of God’s glory was likely on the golden mercy seat covering the ark of the covenant (Ex.25:10-22), first housed in the tabernacle that traveled with the Israelites through the wilderness and later in the Jerusalem temple built by Solomon. In our epistle lesson the writer to the Hebrews a thousand or so years later found God’s glory in Christ Jesus, “in the reflection of God’s glory and the imprint of God’s very being.” Pause for a moment and consider where God’s glory abides for you, when and how you experience the Divine Presence manifesting in the here and now.

God's glory abides in all that God has created. While we might affirm that truth, sometimes it's easier for us to see than others. It is more likely, for example, that we can recognize God's glory in our precious pet dog than in a snarling Doberman Pinscher or to see divine glory in a babbling brook than in a rising flood threatening to destroy our house. Isn't it easier for us to consider a bird with colorful plumage carrying God's glory than a vulture cleaning up roadkill? What about a sweetly sleeping baby or a man in a prison jumpsuit? Yet there it is, waiting for us to become aware of God's indwelling and enfolding presence in all creation.

It's time for us to realize that differences are intended for our benefit, not to be barriers to the harmony of God's house. It's time for us to let go of our biases that affect our treatment of and respect for one another. It's time for us to let go of our self-centered worldview and take up the self-giving mantle of Christ Jesus, to become the place where God's glory abides.