As far as “glory in the highest” is concerned, the key word is the indicative “is.” God is glorious, he is indestructible truth, eternal beauty. That is the fundamental, comforting security of our faith. Yet this also contains an implicit imperative to us, corresponding to the first three commandments of the Decalogue: to ensure that God’s great glory is not sullied or distorted in the world, that his greatness and his holy will are held in honor.