Day 103: Hear Him

While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  Luke 9:34-35

I find the Transfiguration to be something very confusing.  The description we get in the Gospels doesn't seem to warrant so much to make an important feast day out of it in the church calendar.  Perhaps, when I compare it to the Passion, the Nativity, or the end times, this description pales in comparison.

However, every time I come back to reading about it, I feel that God speaks to me in a different way.  A detail that stuck out to me this time around was the passage I copied above.  The disciples whom Jesus had brought along for this event were filled with so many questions, as can be evidenced by Peter's suggestion to build tabernacles for the three men.  In addition to that, they were frightened.  Their teacher's face had just started glowing!

Despite all this uncertainty, though, they entered the cloud.  And, as they entered, they began to receive the gift of understanding.  Jesus is one with God.  In the same way, we should take this approach to our own lives.  We will encounter so many different things where we won't know all the answers.  However, when we take the leap forward, even with our doubts, our questions, our fears, we will get the answer.  God is wherever we are, but we need to receive God.  I find that the physical church building can be seen as a sort of parallel to the cloud.  Within the church's walls, we hear the voice of God in the form of song, prayer, and scripture.  We can also look at our own moments of deep meditation as entering the cloud - the cloud of our own souls.  Within our meditations, we can hear the voice of God.  Another parallel of the cloud is the bible.  When we open up the covers, we can start to receive the revelation of God.  And, each time that we receive the revelations, we understand the same message:  "Jesus is my beloved son.  Hear him!"

Day 14: Pain

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."  Matthew 10:16-20

When Jesus sent out his disciples, he reminded them that there was going to be pain, persecution, trials, and, yes, even death.  Jesus knew pain just in the same way that we feel it.  Jesus knew temptation.  Jesus knows us.  This is why he spent his entire ministry on teaching his disciples and those who followed - all the way down to us - on how to deal with situations.  I find that this passage is the most concise warning, and it is because of this brevity that the message feels even more poignant than others that I read.

Jesus has sent us into this world, where human nature has been allowed to flourish in many different ways.  One way, however, has been in our own desire to order things and people in ways that allow us to be on top, while they are at the bottom.  We have classes based on the amount of money one has.  We have churches that are exclusive, based on how people pray or preach or read or celebrate.  We have court systems that routinely criminalize the innocents or shut off the voices of those who speak differently.  We have come up with a game that has so many rules that everybody loses in the end.

Jesus sent us out there to stop it, but not in the easiest way possible.  Indeed, Jesus has taught us that violence is never the answer and that all violence does is continue to divide until the Divine has to intervene.  Jesus has taught us that we are to love in all instances, that we are to treat everyone with the same respect that they deserve.  Jesus taught us about agape, caritas, charity, unconditional love, even when it seems difficult.  And why is that?

In the face of pain, when the multitudes of people are staring at you, some with stones, others with guns, others with rotten food, others with all that they are worth, ready to fire, love will prevail.  The voice of God is love in all situations, and it is through love that the voice of God will be heard.  When we raise our swords or fists or guns, we only incite even more violence to divide us all up even more.  In the trials, God is ready to speak to anyone who is willing to listen.

I find it difficult to speak coherently whenever I am filled with anger, rage, disappointment, and even sadness, but it is when I take the words of Jesus to heart that I am able to calm down, for Jesus moves in these difficult times.

Today's readings:
Genesis 27-28
Psalm 11 (12)
Proverbs 7:1-6
Matthew 10:16-33
Acts 14