Kaleidoscopic Glory
Back on the eighth of December I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Richard Hughes Gibson speak about his new book, The Way of Dante: Going Through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven with C. S. Lewis, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Charles Williams, as part of Christmas at the Wade. I read the book as a Marion E. Wade Continuing Scholar. I’ve already blogged about the book in Art’s Eye For Evil and The Problem of Glory. The discussion of glory in the book really intrigued me.
I couldn’t help but dig in deeper on the use of kaleidoscopes as a metaphor for glory by Charles Hefling in his introduction to Charles Williams: Essential Writings in Spirituality and Theology. Gibson quoted Hefling saying, “Glory is like what you see through a kaleidoscope rather than what you see through a fog. It is precise and regular, like a solemn liturgy or an intricate dance” (p. 5). Hefling’s metaphor describes the nature of “glory” as something clear, beautiful, and harmonious.
I love the contrasting images of the kaleidoscope and fog. The kaleidoscope represents clarity, vividness, and intricate patterns. It suggests that glory is precise, well-defined, and composed of beautiful, regular patterns—something to be admired for its symmetry and detail. In contrast, the fog implies obscurity and confusion. By comparing glory to this, Hefling emphasized that true glory is not vague or unclear, but instead offers a sense of order and sharpness.
Hefling likened glory to “a solemn liturgy or an intricate dance,” which are both structured, ritualistic, and harmonious activities. This indicates that glory possesses a sense of reverence, discipline, and deliberate beauty—an ordered and meaningful pattern that evokes awe. Hefling wanted us to understand that glory is a structured, beautiful, and precise experience—much like the beautifully patterned visuals seen through a kaleidoscope.
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