Mark 9:2-9
The Last Sunday after the Epiphany / Year B
When I was in college one of the school’s
social groups planned an ice skating outing.
We loaded into buses and were whisked off to a rink. When I got on the bus I noticed an empty seat
next to Carol, and pleasant young women with whom I was friends, so I sat down
next to her. Now, Carol was a sweet
girl, but kind of plain and non-descript, like grits with nothing else on in
it. I don’t remember what we talked
about, but this I recall with absolute clarity… when she got out on the ice and
began to skate she became someone entirely different. Her skating was incredibly graceful and fluid
and it allowed her inner beauty to be revealed.
That loveliness was always there, mind you. It was just veiled… or, more likely, I was
blind to it.
The word transfigured is not one we often use in everyday conversation. In fact, I think I have heard it used only when
talking about the events of this morning’s gospel reading. Transfigured means “an exalting,
glorifying, or spiritual change,” “being outwardly transformed, usually for the
better,” “to transform into something beautiful or elevated.” I tend to think of transfiguring not so much
as change or transformation, but as revealing.
When Jesus is transfigured in the presence
of his three closest disciples, he is not transformed from human to
divine. His humanity briefly is stripped
away allowing the fullness of his divinity to shine forth. The season of Epiphany begins with an
unusually bright star guiding seekers to a home in Bethlehem in order to pay
homage to one born King of the Jews. The
season ends today when the King’s full glory is revealed as he is transfigured
in dazzling light.
So here is my question: We know Jesus, the Son of God, was
transfigured, but is it possible for a human being to experience
transfiguration? Is it possible for you
or for me to have a moment or moments when something holy and holy other inside
of us becomes readily apparent? Watching
the videos of the Capital on January 6, we saw firsthand how a mob mentality
can reveal the absolute ugliest, most sinister, evilest aspects of ourselves,
but is the opposite also possible?
Eastern Orthodoxy holds strongly to an idea
known as theosis, or the deification
of all people. Athanasius of Alexandra
taught “God became human so that humans could become godlike.” This transformation leading to union with God
is known as theosis. It is a process involving catharsis
(purification of the body and mind), and theoria
(illumination through a vision of God).
Through this process Athanasius says “by virtue of grace humans become
what God is by nature.” The Eastern
Church teaches this is not something to be experienced merely by saints or those
ordained, it is the purpose of all human life and it is achievable for anyone
through cooperation with God’s work in the world as well as in our lives.
The early Church understood this to be the message
of the Gospel. And it wasn’t just
intended for individuals. God’s work in
Christ is intended to transform all creation.
It wasn’t until centuries later, in the darkness of the Middle Ages,
that the Church began to elevate personal salvation above personal transformation
by teaching Christ’s work was to deliver us from hell rather than teaching it
was to bring about the divination of all things. It is a shift still dominating our spiritual consciousness
centuries later. I’ll bet no one has
ever knocked on your door and asked you how you are partnering with God to
bring about a new heaven and a new earth (a question rooted in theosis), but chances are good someone
has asked you if you know where your soul would go if you were to died tonight.
Is it possible for a person to be transfigured? Yes, it happens as we strive to share in the
divine life of the one who took on our humanity. I have seen many of you transfigured, if only
for a moment. I’ve seen it when you
welcome a client to our food panty with warmth, dignity, and respect. I’ve seen it when you go out of your way to
help a fellow parishioner in need. I’ve
seen it when you set aside your own cares and concerns in order to listen lovingly
to the cares and concerns of another person.
I’ve seen in moments of quiet, selfless generosity. I’ve seen it many times when our choir is
singing and as we are gathered in corperate worship.
Not to put one person on the spot, but
several years ago I saw it in Doug Russell.
It was the Friday morning of the start of a diocesan council and he,
John Rector, and I were relaxing in the time share John always arranges for
us. Doug was on the phone talking one of
his employees through a situation. He
did it was such wisdom, gentleness, and patience, instilling confidence and
competency in the person he counselled. Perhaps
it doesn’t sound very dramatic (and it wasn’t).
I suspect for Doug it was all a part of another day’s work and most
likely he doesn’t even remember it, but in my eyes it was a truly amazing
moment. That, I thought, is how a godly
person uses power and influence to lead others.
That, I thought, is how Jesus engaged people. And I could tell stories like this about many
of you; stories about when I saw you in a transfigured moment.
Carl
Jung said this:
I cannot define for you what God is. I can only say that my work has proved
empirically that the pattern of God exists in every person and that this
pattern has at its disposal the greatest of all his energies for transformation
and transfiguration of our natural being. Not only the meaning of our life but our
renewal and [the renewal of] our institutions depend on our conscious
relationship with this pattern of the collective unconscious.
This is what I see as I witness
any one of you being transfigured… participation in the pattern of God.
Many of you join us for Evening
Prayer at least once or twice a week. If
so, you know the service begins with a variety of optional sentences from
Scripture followed by one of several prayers.
I like to pair this reading from Matthew with the prayer that follows:
Jesus
said, “You are the light of the world. A
city built on a hill cannot be hid. No
one lights a lamp to put it under a bucket, but on a lamp-stand where it gives
light for everyone in the house. And
you, like the lamp, must shed light among your fellow men, so that they may see
the good you do, and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (5:14-16)
Grant us, Lord, the lamp of charity which never fails, that it
may burn in us and shed its light on those around us, and that by its
brightness we may have a vision of that holy City, where dwells the true and
never-failing Light, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The reading and the prayer speak of our potential to be transfigured; by
the grace of God to have the light of Christ shine in us and through, becoming
a blessing to those around us.
I like what Archbishop Desmond Tutu says,
God places us in the world as his fellow workers-agents of
transfiguration. We work with God so
that injustice is transfigured into justice, so there will be more compassion
and caring, that there will be more laughter and joy, that there will be more
togetherness in God’s world.
This morning we kneel with Peter, James, and John in awe of the sight of
the transfigured Christ. And we also
respond to the fearful possibility we too might be joined with Christ,
transformed into God’s nature, and shine forth with a holy, heavenly, healing
light for the betterment of all creation.
