February 3, 2008

Holy Encounters

by Julianne Stokstad

"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."

Jesus took three of his disciples, Peter, James and John, up a high mountain. We too go up to the mountains, to get away from the crowds, to smell the fresh air and see the clean sky, to stretch our legs, have some fun, and perhaps to find a sense of peace and maybe even a moment of prayer, awareness of God. In the Biblical times, mountains were dangerous places, places where God was encountered to be sure as well as dangers of weather or wild animals. Moses went up Mt. Sinai and covered by a mysterious cloud of God, received the Ten Commandments. Holy prophets went up mountains to find God. But from what we read in this story, the disciples certainly didn't expect what they saw and heard; after all they were ordinary folks, like you and me. Not only did they hear a voice (presumably God's voice) coming from the bright cloud that overcame them (that would be scary for any of us) but also they saw Jesus shine with light from out of this world. And then suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus as friends. They had died centuries before. It was to be sure a holy encounter, unexplainable otherwise. And what did these disciples do? Were they overjoyed to stand on such Holy Ground and to be initiated into the company of saints? Were they thrilled to really see who Jesus is? No way, they fell on their faces in fear and trembling!

To encounter such otherness, such holiness is indeed as scary as anything there is.

We all know fear. We are wired to be afraid. When danger is close we know how it feels, how our pulse increases, our breathing increases. We are filled with adrenalin, ready to fight or run away from whatever would hurt us. The dictionary defines fear as an unpleasant emotion caused by belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or threat. Terror is extreme fear. Fear can be our friend, good and helpful, when it keeps us safe, away from harm as it is designed to do. I remember teaching our sons to keep away from dangers when they were small: "Don't run into the street; don't talk with strangers or ever go off with them." I wonder now what else I taught them to fear that I did not intend to teach them? Not all fear protects us. When fear consumes us with worry and locks us up inside needless anxiety, then it is not helpful and misplaced. This out of place fear can rise up like a snake from a dark place within us and paralyze us. Fear like this separates us from our own soul or heart and each other.

There is very much wrong in the world today. There is a lot to be afraid of. Some say it is worse than it has ever been, though I doubt that. Terrorists reign with the amazing power of random violence throughout much of the world. Visions of violence on the daily news make us afraid even when we are not exactly sure what is dangerous. Politicians know fear is a great way to control people. Advertisers use fear and anxiety because they are great ways to sell things. This is what I want to focus on today, our fear.

I know fear. Several weeks ago I spoke about our trip to Antarctica. What I am not sure I made clear was that for a whole year I did not want to go. I was afraid. I was irrationally very afraid of going. All I could imagine was lying in my bunk on the ship, wishing to die, because of extreme seasickness. My imagination was frozen, seeing only the possible threats. I could not seem to pull myself out of this state of mind. What a happy surprise that it was such a wonderful experience, not like I imagined at all. Now looking back I realize even if it had been as I imagined, I would have coped. I alaways do. I've been thinking how fear and its evil twin judgment keep us away from some wonderful experiences and away from growth. Fear and judgment keep us apart from each other as well. Most of our paralyzing fears originate from what we were taught at an early age or own experiences real or imagined. I am talking about THE BIG BADDIES, the kind of fear that can rise and irrationally lock us up in a response that we don't even understand. My fear for this trip was an example of a response from another time in my life that fear rose up and overcame me as an adult. I don't want to go into the sources of my fears just now, but perhaps you can remember some of the sources of your big bad fear.

The story of the transfiguration has an important message for us about fear. The word transfiguration is translated from the Greek word metamorphosis meaning change of form. That word refers to a natural process of growth and development that we can observe in nature. Tadpoles change into frogs as they grow legs and lungs, losing their gills and tails. Butterflies changing in the chrysalis is another example of metamorphosis, emerging no longer as wormlike caterpillar but rather a winged butterfly. I doubt they are afraid because this natural growth process just happens. Jesus was not a biologist and was not teaching us about physical growth, rather the lesson of the transfiguration is about spiritual growth; another natural process that happens as that part of us that can never die, grows and matures through life and beyond.

There are clues this is what Jesus was showing the disciples because both before and after this story, Jesus tells them about his coming suffering and death. And like us, they cannot even hear what he tells them so stuck are they in their views of how things are. They didn't even understand when he showed them up there on the mountain of his and our living connection to God, to all saints who have lived before us. Jesus understood their fear, didn't leave them alone, ministering to them in their fear. That is a comforting promise for us to remember.

While most of us won't see Jesus transfigured, times of birth and times of death are thin places where the curtain between our physical world and God is lifted and we get glimpses of the glory of God. Death, our greatest fear, is the place where God is most clearly revealed. It is this fear of death that lies unspoken behind many of the conversations I have. Just this week someone asked me what to say to an elderly loved one who expressed this fear. While our rational minds understand that each of us is mortal and must die, medicine and our culture sees death as a failure. This fear paralyzes us and locks us into a place where we are not open to the gifts present for us right now in this place. Following Jesus, we work for the transformations of human society in many ways: working to find ways to live together without violence or oppression; working to preserve the natural systems of our beautiful earth; working for transformation through education. One of the main teachings in this scripture is to not be afraid when we catch a glimpse of God.

To see God's world and each other with fresh eyes is challenging, fearful. Spiritual growth takes discipline and courage. To face our fears, trusting we are not alone, takes great courage. In the Bible, angels and Jesus don't say believe this or that, we hear over and over, "Don't be afraid!"

[HOME PAGE] [SERMON INDEX]