Scriptural Basis
Matthew 17:1-9
As I have been reflecting on this weekends readings about the transfiguration of Jesus, I could not help but notice the word "trans."
Whenever a word with two syllables begins with "trans" it usually refers to some kind of change.
A transmission changes the gears in our motor vehicles to help us go faster, slower or in reverse.
When we transform something, we change it's form to resemble something different.
We often use the word "transgression" which is another word for sin or offense. We have changed our desire to do something good, and do something that is not so good.
For the LGBTQ communities, we have our transgender folks. The word transgender, means to change from one gender to another. Not just physically, but internally. A transgender person sees herself/himself as being different on the inside, compared to what she/he is on the outside. The transgender person goes through a self acceptance process. In that process there is much time and heartache. Eventually the transgender person will change their bodily appearanc, voice, body mass, to reflect who they are on the inside. They do this, so that they can live honestly and openly who they really are.
It is a little bit like the caterpillar that goes into a cocoon and comes out a butterfly.
The idea of a transgender person is not limited to those who have gender reassignment surgery or take hormones. Many lesbian and gay people show signs of being transgender in their bodily gestures, speech and/or dress style. The lesbian woman can be very feminine, or masculine. The lesbian person can show behaviors and ways that are both feminine and masculine. Likewise many gay men can be masculine and/or feminine. There are even some straight women who can appear very butch, while many straight men appear very feminine. There is no set status quo. Except in the minds of people who regard a change of gender as "unnatural".
As we prepare to move from the Sundays after the Epiphany into Lent this upcoming Ash Wednesday, we stop to consider the transfiguration of Jesus.
When Jesus took Peter, James and John with him up to the mountaion, Jesus was transfigured before them. Suddenly the human Jesus had a divine image that was very bright. The disciples saw the vision of God who was in Jesus, and how God could reveal God's Self through human history into the present time. They saw the God beyond human comprehension, become very close and personal. The eyes of those who have been oppressed by their tyrannical government, suddenly saw the greatest Light of hope, they had been praying for all these many years. No wonder they wanted to stay there.
In the course of the conversation, they heard the voice of God declare that Jesus was God's Son the Beloved with whom God was well-pleased, and all should listen to Jesus.
When Jesus was transfigured, the God who was in Christ became visible. If only for a few moments. Jesus who was God's prefect revelation, revealed God's Self in God's divine nature.
In the transfiguration, Jesus shows that we cannot judge an individual person by their appearance alone. Within each individual person is the wonder and beauty of God's revelation that gives light to the darkness.
What can appear so predictable about an individuals outward appearance can suddenly become our own inner shame, when someone we deemed worthless because of outward appearences, actions etc, suddenly shows to us a love, kindness and tenderness that surpasses our own.
An individual who does not fit our status quo can suddenly help us realize there is a hidden loving individual within each of us, that longs to "come out" and love others in new and wonderful ways.
In other words, we can experience our own unique transfiguration and/or transformation.
We can have a variety of reactions to change in our lives and/or world.
We can react to change with delighted welcome. Or we can react to change with reluctance and disbelief.
We can go with the flow.
We can become obstructionists and become obsessed with being sure real change does not happen. At times change is something that is just out of our hands.
When I think of all that is going on in our nation with the labor protests in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indianna, New Jersey and all over, I think of how distressed many of us are. Watching individuals trying to defend what is left of their small wages, high cost health care, not to mention the wickedness of what so many are saying that public school teachers are to be vilified, is very heart wrenching. Listening to the news reports day in and day out of how as much as people are protesting and speaking out, the rethuglicans are just not going to
budge.
The transfiguration story in the Gospels reminds us that the Light of God is present in the most tragic storms of life. The God who has been a part of human history is here with us in God's Son, by the power of God the Holy Spirit. God invites all of us who are God's Beloved, and with us, God is well-pleased, to embrace God and the Light that Christ brings in the midst of the darkness of our lives. No matter how ugly and un-godly the circumstances and how selfish certain individuals can be, God is never absent from those who are calling out to God in their need.
Every person has those moments when God just seems so far out of reach of us and our situation. Circumstances close in all around us. Life just is not making any sense. We need God's transforming grace to change our world and ourselves.
Most of the time, the world does not change very quickly. We can choose to cooperate with God's plan of change for our lives. Or we can stifle God's Spirit and just let whatever the circumstances of our lives be, just destroy us and our sense of self respect.
Transgender people are a wonderful reminder of God's transformative grace. They struggle very deeply to understand who they are. They often appear to be existing in two different worlds. In reality, they are in touch with their true selves. They struggle with themselves, their families, their relationships and even wtih their own bodies to bring forth the very essence of who they are.
Transgender people are a fantastic reminder of what can happen when we accept who we really are on the inside, and work with God and others to be transformed into who we really are. Transgender people remind Christians that there is always a wonderful and beautiful person inside of us, just bursting to come forward and delight the world with the real and gifted person we really are. The more we resist what God is calling us to within, the more we will keep God's plan in our lives from becoming a reality. If we only surrender ourselves into God's will that is so often speaking from the depths of our hearts and souls, God can not only transform us, but also the world around us.
As with any change, it is difficult. There will be those who will resist the change that we bring forward. That is really okay. Is it just? No. Does it have to completely destroy us? No.
On this Trans Sunday before Lent, we are reminded that we journey with Jesus into these forty days so that we may continue to be transformed, so that together we can transform the world of darkness and in justice.
There is way too much oppression, suppression, prejudice and violence for Christians to take a back seat and not pay attention.
Progressive Christians need to become missionaries of peace in a world of cruelty and war. We carry the torch of progressive social and political change so that the person who remains marginalized by the Church and society, can be brought forward to be dignified.
Progressive Christians can look to the transfiguration of Jesus, and transgender people to bring that light that is within all of us who are oppressed and stigmatized, to live freely, openly and with integrity.
May we all understand how much we are all God's beloved, and with us God is well-pleased. May we all become partners in the work for all people to know and live their belovedness and so transform and transfigure our world.
Prayers
Matthew 17:1-9
Six days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.Blog Reflection
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
As I have been reflecting on this weekends readings about the transfiguration of Jesus, I could not help but notice the word "trans."
Whenever a word with two syllables begins with "trans" it usually refers to some kind of change.
A transmission changes the gears in our motor vehicles to help us go faster, slower or in reverse.
When we transform something, we change it's form to resemble something different.
We often use the word "transgression" which is another word for sin or offense. We have changed our desire to do something good, and do something that is not so good.
For the LGBTQ communities, we have our transgender folks. The word transgender, means to change from one gender to another. Not just physically, but internally. A transgender person sees herself/himself as being different on the inside, compared to what she/he is on the outside. The transgender person goes through a self acceptance process. In that process there is much time and heartache. Eventually the transgender person will change their bodily appearanc, voice, body mass, to reflect who they are on the inside. They do this, so that they can live honestly and openly who they really are.
It is a little bit like the caterpillar that goes into a cocoon and comes out a butterfly.
The idea of a transgender person is not limited to those who have gender reassignment surgery or take hormones. Many lesbian and gay people show signs of being transgender in their bodily gestures, speech and/or dress style. The lesbian woman can be very feminine, or masculine. The lesbian person can show behaviors and ways that are both feminine and masculine. Likewise many gay men can be masculine and/or feminine. There are even some straight women who can appear very butch, while many straight men appear very feminine. There is no set status quo. Except in the minds of people who regard a change of gender as "unnatural".
As we prepare to move from the Sundays after the Epiphany into Lent this upcoming Ash Wednesday, we stop to consider the transfiguration of Jesus.
When Jesus took Peter, James and John with him up to the mountaion, Jesus was transfigured before them. Suddenly the human Jesus had a divine image that was very bright. The disciples saw the vision of God who was in Jesus, and how God could reveal God's Self through human history into the present time. They saw the God beyond human comprehension, become very close and personal. The eyes of those who have been oppressed by their tyrannical government, suddenly saw the greatest Light of hope, they had been praying for all these many years. No wonder they wanted to stay there.
In the course of the conversation, they heard the voice of God declare that Jesus was God's Son the Beloved with whom God was well-pleased, and all should listen to Jesus.
When Jesus was transfigured, the God who was in Christ became visible. If only for a few moments. Jesus who was God's prefect revelation, revealed God's Self in God's divine nature.
In the transfiguration, Jesus shows that we cannot judge an individual person by their appearance alone. Within each individual person is the wonder and beauty of God's revelation that gives light to the darkness.
What can appear so predictable about an individuals outward appearance can suddenly become our own inner shame, when someone we deemed worthless because of outward appearences, actions etc, suddenly shows to us a love, kindness and tenderness that surpasses our own.
An individual who does not fit our status quo can suddenly help us realize there is a hidden loving individual within each of us, that longs to "come out" and love others in new and wonderful ways.
In other words, we can experience our own unique transfiguration and/or transformation.
We can have a variety of reactions to change in our lives and/or world.
We can react to change with delighted welcome. Or we can react to change with reluctance and disbelief.
We can go with the flow.
We can become obstructionists and become obsessed with being sure real change does not happen. At times change is something that is just out of our hands.
When I think of all that is going on in our nation with the labor protests in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indianna, New Jersey and all over, I think of how distressed many of us are. Watching individuals trying to defend what is left of their small wages, high cost health care, not to mention the wickedness of what so many are saying that public school teachers are to be vilified, is very heart wrenching. Listening to the news reports day in and day out of how as much as people are protesting and speaking out, the rethuglicans are just not going to
budge.
The transfiguration story in the Gospels reminds us that the Light of God is present in the most tragic storms of life. The God who has been a part of human history is here with us in God's Son, by the power of God the Holy Spirit. God invites all of us who are God's Beloved, and with us, God is well-pleased, to embrace God and the Light that Christ brings in the midst of the darkness of our lives. No matter how ugly and un-godly the circumstances and how selfish certain individuals can be, God is never absent from those who are calling out to God in their need.
Every person has those moments when God just seems so far out of reach of us and our situation. Circumstances close in all around us. Life just is not making any sense. We need God's transforming grace to change our world and ourselves.
Most of the time, the world does not change very quickly. We can choose to cooperate with God's plan of change for our lives. Or we can stifle God's Spirit and just let whatever the circumstances of our lives be, just destroy us and our sense of self respect.
Transgender people are a wonderful reminder of God's transformative grace. They struggle very deeply to understand who they are. They often appear to be existing in two different worlds. In reality, they are in touch with their true selves. They struggle with themselves, their families, their relationships and even wtih their own bodies to bring forth the very essence of who they are.
Transgender people are a fantastic reminder of what can happen when we accept who we really are on the inside, and work with God and others to be transformed into who we really are. Transgender people remind Christians that there is always a wonderful and beautiful person inside of us, just bursting to come forward and delight the world with the real and gifted person we really are. The more we resist what God is calling us to within, the more we will keep God's plan in our lives from becoming a reality. If we only surrender ourselves into God's will that is so often speaking from the depths of our hearts and souls, God can not only transform us, but also the world around us.
As with any change, it is difficult. There will be those who will resist the change that we bring forward. That is really okay. Is it just? No. Does it have to completely destroy us? No.
On this Trans Sunday before Lent, we are reminded that we journey with Jesus into these forty days so that we may continue to be transformed, so that together we can transform the world of darkness and in justice.
There is way too much oppression, suppression, prejudice and violence for Christians to take a back seat and not pay attention.
Progressive Christians need to become missionaries of peace in a world of cruelty and war. We carry the torch of progressive social and political change so that the person who remains marginalized by the Church and society, can be brought forward to be dignified.
Progressive Christians can look to the transfiguration of Jesus, and transgender people to bring that light that is within all of us who are oppressed and stigmatized, to live freely, openly and with integrity.
May we all understand how much we are all God's beloved, and with us God is well-pleased. May we all become partners in the work for all people to know and live their belovedness and so transform and transfigure our world.
Prayers
O God, who before the passion of your onlybegotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Prayer for the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, Book of Common Prayer, page 217)
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family, Book of Common Prayer, page 815).
No comments:
Post a Comment