Journal of Sacred Work

Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. 
– Exodus 34:29

   On the Christian calendar, today is Transfiguration Sunday. It reflects a time when the Holy Spirit entered and transformed Biblical figures from Moses to Jesus. And it marks a time when Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus. It is also a chance to consider how this spirit may enter any one of us as we turn our faces to God.
   One of the perplexing truths of human existence is the way ordinary people can become transformed through spiritual experience. Movies love to portray this phenomenon by ascribing it to characters from saints to Superman. We encounter a presence like Mozart, Mother Theresa, or Martin Luther King and we see something different.
   Often, however, the person "transformed" seems to understand that it is not them, but some force coming through them…

   Mozart never claimed to have "thought up" his brilliant compositions. Instead, he claimed that he "heard them." In other words, he had found the ability to be present to great music which he claimed was already out there. He thought of himself as no more than a reporter transcribing sounds he picked up from the universe.
   Mother Theresa never took credit for being one of God’s heroes. She said she simply "followed Christ into the slums." She thought of herself as a soldier obeying orders. The same was true of Martin Luther King, in his quest, and it seems to be true of anyone, to varying degrees, who finds the humility to let go of ego and let in the light of God.
   This process of transfiguration, as near as the rest of us can tell, is certainly not a trick that can be taught. All we can say is that we know that some have found a way to be open to the blessing of love while most resist this blessing and listen only the loud voice of the world.
   I believe I see the process of transfiguration most commonly among two groups of people – artists and caregivers. Some would add sports figures to this group and I wouldn’t disagree. Any person engaged in seeking extraordinary performance may occasionally touch the hem of God’s light. This can happen when we are engaged in a high level of seeking and, in the midst of our greatest effort,
we suddenly "let go and Let God."
   If you’ve ever watched a pianist like Andre Watts or cellist like Yo-Yo Ma, you may have seen a being caught in the thrall of a great performance. The face takes on a shine, as if some light is passing through the performer.
   It takes hard work followed by a certain, powerful kind of letting go, for the transfiguration to occur. And the light may be very transitory, entering when the person is most open, departing as the world re-asserts itself.
   Perhaps the experience is not something to be cultivated, but simply to be admired and respected. Our role is not to transform ourselves, since that is something only God can do, but to be open to the truth, the light, and the love that is always there and may, or may not, come to us.
   As the ancient saying goes, Called, or not called, God is present. So the question is never whether God is present to us, but whether we are present to God. There is no greater goal in life.

-Erie Chapman