Changing direction

Just before we enter Lent most churches celebrate the Transfiguration of Christ with his three disciples. We can see that the disciples act as unbelieving clots when they think about saving the world by building buildings to celebrate the wonderous event that has just occurred (Matt. 7.4). In a manner of speaking we are just as guilty when we are confronted by difficult decisions. This is a turning point in the Gospel narrative for both Christ and the disciples. At any peak time of decision making we come to a crux, a decision point both as disciples and as leaders. Do we rest on our laurels and celebrate with protective structures or do we allow ourselves the more difficult path of facing an uncertain and difficult future?

The disciples' response, well Peter's response as the representative character, is to become not only protective but also in a conformist manner that hopes to build on what has always worked. Our first thought is to protect the territory in which we are the masters or at least that which we are familiar with. We put up walls and we wish to make sure that no one else can remove us from the land / power base / authority that we possess. These walls represent to us our limits and our inability to move forward with flexibility but rather to solidify our holding pattern. In uncertainty we prefer to ensure permanency by putting into place things that will stem the terror that is the future. It can be seen in our every day lives particularly within the Church environment. The need for something concrete to hold onto is to great for some. If it is not the position or placement of a pew it is our seat, if it is not the seating it is the building, etc. It does not matter where we start we will build a case for the structure to remain whether it is an actual structure or a way we do things. We have always done it this way or that way but sometimes if we change something we will find that we reap greater rewards. Ask Peter and he would probably have said that we need an established place of worship to understand what has just happened.

This cannot be moved and is not living

However, Christ is at a turning point in the narrative. It is at this point with the acknowledgement of God that he turns to face the road and trial of Jerusalem. The die is, so to speak, cast at this point. It is something that we to need to contemplate as we prepare for our own journey to Jerusalem and beyond. Christ does not wait to build he moves on and down the mountain. He takes up the challenge that is presented by change and transformation. Instead of standing still to contemplate he moves into action. Just as Moses moves up into the cloud to meet with God (Exodus 24.12-18) it is with the understanding that an action will occur. Here is a challenge the covenant is to be written to bind the tribes to a single God and the commandments to lead them into the future. The written word is fluid and allows for interpretation to accommodate changes in society. So the law that is created must be fluid to make allowances for the future. However, the law becomes set in stone when we refuse to allow its varied nuances to shape us and allow God to move within us. If we build buildings we stagnate and do not allow ourselves to be accommodating for the future, Christ moved forward a fluidity of movement, the oral tradition became encompassed in stone but was still open for a new future.

In coming to this time of decision making we need to hold ourselves up to Christ and ask ourselves are we wanting to embrace the uncertainty of the future or are we content ot live in structures which do not move or are unable to accommodate newness of life? This is the choice we make when we are confronted by Christ do we move with Christ or are we left behind living in a constricted space to worship something that is not God but our own imagination.