The Thin Place Between Heaven and Earth
Christians have long spoken of “thin places” — holy moments or locations where the veil between Heaven and earth feels almost transparent.
The Isle of Iona is such a place, where generations have sensed God’s presence, almost as if close enough to touch.
Some have described Iona as a thin place — a place where the gap between things spiritual and material is no thicker than a tissue of paper.
The Transfiguration is one of those thin places, described in glorious colour in St Luke’s Gospel – Luke 9:28-36.
Jesus led Peter, James, and John up a mountain, away from the noise and hurry of daily life, and there they witnessed him in all his glory.
His face changed in some way and His clothes become dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appeared in all their heavenly glory to stand by Jesus — as the disciples were granted a glimpse of Heaven breaking through into earth.
Christ’s Transfiguration is both a revelation of who He is and a promise of who we are becoming. It reveals the destiny of humanity in Christ: which is to be changed, healed, and made radiant with God’s life.
This reflection explores that mystery through a dream of transformation I once had — an experience that echoed the nearness of Heaven in a way personal to me, which I would like to share with you.
A Dream of Transformation
In the dream I was walking along a crowded road. Younger people were dashing past me on both sides, full of energy and purpose.
I felt old, tired, and weighed down by the worries of life.
Then a lovely young man slowed down and came alongside me.
He took my arm gently and said, “I’ll help you get there, Mary.”
I said, “Thank you, but where are we all going to?”
“To Heaven,” he replied.
“But where is Heaven?” I asked.
“It’s just up the road a bit further, and around the corner,” he told me confidently.
Then suddenly, we were there — in Heaven — and it was stunningly beautiful, just as we might imagine.
But what struck me most was not the scenery.
Rather, it was the feeling.
Every worry dropped away from me.
Every burden dissolved.
I felt joy, peace, and a strange sense of being ageless — free from the weight of time and the heaviness of the world.
Looking back on this dream, I think I caught a glimpse of what our spiritual transformation might be like.
Christ the Companion on the Crowded Road
An interpretation of the dream could be that before full glory is revealed, Christ comes alongside us.
He walks with us on the ordinary roads of life.
Quietly, gently, compassionately, just as the young man took my arm, Jesus meets us in our tiredness, our questions, our age, and our uncertainty.
Meaning our transformation is not something we can achieve alone. It begins with the guidance and companionship of Christ.
Heaven Being Just Up the Road and Around the Corner
The young man’s words echo Jesus’ own proclamation that the Kingdom of Heaven is “at hand.”
Not far away. Not unreachable. Not reserved for the strong or the unburdened. But nearer than we imagine — somewhere just up the road and around the corner.
The Transformation Christ Works in Us
Christ’s light reveals our true selves, and the selves we have the potential to become.
In my dream, I believe I caught a glimpse of myself as He sees me — ageless, beloved, freed from burdens.
I did not earn Heaven in my dream; it came as a sudden and wonderful gift from God. The gift offered to all who follow Christ.
Because the Transfiguration is not only about Jesus’ glory — it is also about the glory He intends to share with us.
This is not something we can earn, buy, barter for, or steal even— it can only be received as a gift of God’s grace.
What Does This Mean for Us Today?
Many of us walk through life feeling as though the road is crowded and we are tired.
We carry worries, responsibilities, regrets, and fears.
We may feel overshadowed by the pace of the world or by the passing of years.
But Christ is always ready to come alongside us — to take our arm, to say, “I’ll help you get there.”
And the glory He revealed on the mountain is the glory He promises to reveal in us — not only at the end of our journey, but along the way too.
St Paul puts it like this: And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit – 2 Corinthians 3:18
The Veil Is Thin, and Christ Is Near
The Transfiguration teaches us that Heaven is nearer than we might imagine.
It shows us that the veil is thin and transformation is already underway.
The Transfiguration portrays Christ’s glory and all His splendour.
He wants to lead each one of us into it — and it is nearer than we might think.
It is just up the road and around the corner.
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