A gay transfiguration?

       Dozens of years ago, my daughter and I invented a word to describe a phenomena we noted. The object was a young man driving ( poorly ) in a hot car , usually a Camaro or Firebird. This was the typical stance of driver: seat reclined, driver slunk low in that seat with his left arm draped ( hands free ) over the steering wheel. The driver invariably canted toward the passenger seat where a 'babe' was seated. We called the driver a "schmookula". It was all so stereotypical. I was terribly guilty of leading my daughter astray into judgment and seeing only the surface of things and people.

        A few years later while I was on jury duty, there was, lo and behold a Schmookula amongst us. Gold clad, open shirt and regularly checking on the status of his car from our window - yes, a Firebird, parked across the street. During the countless down time and lunches I got to see that this Schmookula was really quite a decent chap. He spent weekends in Manhattan collecting left over Friday night food from selected restaurants and delivering that food to homeless people all over the city.  That was a transfiguration.

       When I note that God loves everyone with reckless abandon or that that God loves everyone as a beloved creation, I believe God can sees through the stuff we envelope ourselves with. God can see the essence of us in all our glory - no need for a transfiguration with God. But we who are so involved with worldly stuff, trappings and concerns often have poor vision when it comes to God's other beloved creations. We see what we want to see. We fail to see the goodness in others. We barely get a transfiguration of how wonderful and beautiful our fellow creatures are. It isn't easy because we entrap ourselves, we put on blinders and let's face it, it is easy to categorize and compartmentalize.  How wonderful the world would be if we could see the magnificence of how God sees all that She created.

           Switching gears a little here, we are told as members of the gay community that we should all be out and proud, living our routine normal and decent lives wherever we are, work, neighborhood, church etc. When people come to see that we are just like everyone else, same joys, pains, concerns and interests, we will be more accepted. People will realize we are no different than anyone else is. We will not be defined by those few that rail on wrongly about rampant sex, inability to have real relationships and generally minimalize and demonize the gay community. When people see a gay person who is just like everyone else, they will see a transfiguration of sorts also. If they don't see a complete transfiguration, they will at least see that we are no different than they are.

        The question at hand is do we allow ourselves to see others in a different light? Are we able to see the transfiguration of our fellow creations?  Can we see that we are all Beloved by God? It is easier to compartmentalize, categorize and marginalize others. Can you imagine the awesome power and glory of Jesus being transfigured?

        For our ability and willingness  to see beyond the facade and see the transfiguration of all mankind, each and every one of us. I pray. 

Mark 9:2-13

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean. Then they asked him, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’ He said to them, ‘Elijah is indeed coming first to restore all things. How then is it written about the Son of Man, that he is to go through many sufferings and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him.’