This is what we want from God: the definite answer to the question of His existence. How ecstatic must Peter have been. He knew that there was power within Jesus; he was the first to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the long-awaited savior who would lead God's people to endless victory. But instead of forming an army or negotiating with kings, Peter's Messiah was spending his time with the downtrodden, the cast-offs of society. Now, on the mount, for a moment, Jesus's full glory was revealed, and the hopes for a world-dominating ruler must have kindled again within Peter's heart.
By the time Peter gathers his senses together and offers to set up tents for Elijah and Moses (probably hoping that this would coax them to stay), the moment is over and Jesus looks as He did before. The three men have that moment of revelation but are told by their master not to reveal it to anyone until Jesus' task on Earth has been fulfilled. Still, they did have that moment where they saw His glory and all doubt was wiped from their minds.
How I have longed for that moment, for my heart is often shadowed in doubt. During vacation bible school at a non-denomination church, we spent the end of each daily session in quiet prayer. During this time, children who experienced "God's call" were to go up to the minister and ask to be "born again." I was the last one from my group to go up, and though I claimed to have heard His call, I had experienced nothing like what had been described to me. There was no beam from heaven, no chorus of angels, and no feeling of warmth suffusing my heart. In truth, I only went up because everyone else had done so, and I didn't want people to think I was the only one who didn't hear Him.
My acceptance of God, and Jesus in particular, has actually been a much slower affair with no magnificent gestures to prove His existence. You see, I fully believe in Christ's message, His sacrifice, and His love. This faith, however, has come through observation and reflection, not revelation on a grand scale. And while I treasure my faith, I understand the desire that so many people hold. If God is here, helping and guiding us, why doesn't He reveal Himself in a special-effects-packed extravaganza? I understand why, but I would still like that moment.