Word to the Wise
Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - The Transfiguration of the Lord
[Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; 2 Peter 1:16-19; Matthew 17:1-9]Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
The feast of the Transfiguration occurs on the anniversary of a world-altering event: the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan! Whatever one's thinking about that action on the part of our country, I think everyone can agree that it was something larger than we had any idea it would be. The consequences are still with us. My childhood during the Cold War made nuclear warfare a constant subject. People built bomb shelters in their backyards! I, for one, would hope that never ever again will any nation use atomic energy in this terrible and tragic way. It is a complete perversion of creation - taking the fundamental elements of nature and using them to cause terrible death and destruction. We must acknowledge that we are a long way from learning all there is to know about this universe and we are like children playing with matches when we create nuclear weapons. What does this have to do with the Transfiguration? It is the same limited recognition on the part of the apostles on the mountain that they were in the presence of something far, far greater than the charismatic rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth! It was a gradual thing for them to learn, but the experience of the Transfiguration gives rise to the prophetic message - a lamp shining in a dark place. It is this lamp of teaching that should humble us in the face of scientific research into the secrets of the atom and the corresponding responsibility never to misuse it for military or political or (God forbid!) religious purposes. Mere altruism is not going to prevent this. It requires a faith that transcends the awesome power (created by God) in the fundamental structure of creation. AMEN
config
view
logs
4096.0 KB
53 ms
4
