Transfiguration Sunday and Sting’s Prayer

“And he was transfigured before them,
and his clothes became dazzling white,
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.” Mark 9:2-3

The summer heat is on. The daytime temperature feels desert-like from this part of the world. It feels like the searing heat of Good Friday is knocking at our doorsteps, reminding us that somewhere, a fire is burning, more often a wild one. It’s easy to get thirsty these days. As the Man approaches His suffering and death, a mountain respite happened. It was drinking in the midst of the boiling political heat especially in Metro Jerusalem. Soon, he will immersed Himself in the chaos of the city. The call to learn from His desire for our deserts of hatred and violence and hunger for power and prestige is beckoning. Are you ready to join Him and Sting and the band of desert dreamers? Here’s Sting with his Desert Rose:

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

I dream of fire
Those dreams that tie two hearts that will never die
And near the flames
The shadows play in the shape of the mans desire

This desert rose
Whose shadow bears the secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume that would torture you more than this

And now she turns
This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams
This fire burns
I realize that nothings as it seems

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

I dream of rain
I lift my gaze to empty skies above
I close my eyes
The rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of love

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

Sweet desert rose
Whose shadow bears the secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume that would torture you more than this

Sweet desert rose
This memory of hidden hearts and souls
This desert flower
This rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of love

We are all desert roses…