Streaking across the sky like a meteor, a firebird in flight.

A bald eagle flapping wings on an easterly flight path aimed for the rising sun.

The golden globe’s rays were, at the same time, reaching out to the earth, waking land and sky, and transfiguring the eagle before my eyes.

As it flew higher and faster towards the sun, the bald eagle was enveloped by its light and turned into blazing gold.

It didn’t transform itself, but was changed by what it was seeking.

It had to be undone to become like the sun.

And it was undone.

Then redone.

The eagle became the sun. It became sun-like yet remained itself an eagle.

Here, in this firebird, flies a meteoric metaphor for the Christian life.