RELIGION —
The word “glory” has many meanings. And it can be a noun, a verb, an adverb or an adjective.
As a noun, its primary meaning is the presence of God. As a verb it can refer to a player’s glory on a football field or the glory one may give to God. It becomes an adverb when you describe someone as gloriously happy. An adjective when you speak of a child’s glorious smile.
“Glory” is a much used praise word in the Bible, found more than a hundred times in both the Old Testament and the New. It is used mostly to refer to the glory of God, meaning His majesty, honor and power, which hopefully His creatures will view with awe, respect and wonder.
There is worldly glory as well as spiritual glory. The former is fleeting, momentary and fickle. In contrast, the latter is enduring, dependable, lasting and even eternal.
In Exodus of the Old Testament, when God came into the tabernacle, His glory filled the place. That was His presence being manifested. Centuries later when John wrote about the incarnation of Jesus, he called Jesus the glory of God. Jesus was the visible presence of God in the world, which Jesus verified when he said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”
Over the years I began using the word “glory” much in the same way people use the word “hallelujah,” a Hebrew word that means “Praise the Lord.” In writing I began adding three exclamation marks for emphasis. Interestingly, exclamation marks (or points) were first called shriek marks or screamers, which amuses me because I am in a sense screaming when I shout “Glory!” The writer Ben Johnson referred to them as “admiration marks.” I like that because when I shout “Glory” I am inviting the audience to admire, thankfully and joyfully, the loving presence of God in our midst.
When I shout “Glory” I am saying, “Praise the Lord! God is with us! Give thanks for His presence! Rejoice in His loving forgiveness! Bow down before Him and exalt His Name! Kneel on the knees of your heart and let Jesus renew the joy of your salvation! Fall on your knees, repent and be saved from your sins! Jesus is here! Hallelujah! Worship Him! Give the rest of your life to Him!”
Can we “see” God’s glory? Yes, with the eyes of the spirit. We can see His glory in the radiant face of a child, in the grandeur of the mountains, in the splendor of the forests, in the marvelous handiwork of a craftsman, in delicious food prepared by someone who loves us, in the loving embrace of a friend, in the worn hands of an aging laborer, in the face of a friend who has come to rescue us from the darkness of self-pity, in the open arms of someone who longs for the reconciliation of an injured friendship. Saint Paul saw the light of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
In The “Weight of Glory,” C. S. Lewis said that “we walk every day on the razor edge between two incredible possibilities.” One, to enjoy the glory of God’s delight, being known by God as “a good and faithful servant.” The other, “to be forgotten, shamed and dismissed by God,” hearing Him say, “I never knew you. Depart from me.”
Lewis calls God’s glory “to be delighted in by God.” To have that glory, Lewis contends that we must refuse to be content with the vanities of this world and seek the infinite glory God offers us. When that becomes our deepest desire, it becomes “a weight of glory that we must bear in our daily lives” but is also “a call to carry the weight of our neighbor’s glory every day — in whom Christ, Glory Himself, is truly hidden.”
Perhaps this is why Jesus summarized the commandments to these two: Love God and love your neighbor. In truly loving our neighbor, we discover the Christ, the Glory of God — what our soul has been longing for all our life.
So I say it again, with passion and compassion: GLORY!