As I watched:
Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was bright as snow,
and the hair on his head as white as wool....
The New Testament is saturated with hope for salvation; its authors expected something spectacular to happen soon. Perhaps before the death of those who had personally seen the Risen Lord. If some had been put to death for their witness to the Lord, there was all the more reason that they should be raised with the Lord soon. The End would happen, and it was close.
The first Christians were like those disciples whom the angels challenged in Acts 1: "...why are you standing there looking at the sky?"
Peter, James, and John were among them. Perhaps the Lord's ascension reminded them of that equally mysterious incident when he had appeared transfigured before them. What did it mean then? What does it mean now? What should we do? Should we erect a tent here; an altar, a shrine, a temple? Not knowing what to do, they retreated to the Upper Room to wait for the guidance of God's Spirit.
The Patristics studied the Gospels and taught that the Transfiguration had prepared the disciples for what would happen in Jerusalem. If the horror of the Lord's crucifixion was beyond comprehension, so was the Transfiguration. The two incidents mysteriously complemented each other, leaving the disciples in a perpetual state of wonder. To this day, these stories do not tell us what to do, except perhaps to wait upon the Lord's direction.
Saint Paul had a similar event when he encountered the Lord on the road to Damascus. If he wondered what he should do in response, he was immediately told, ""Go into the city and you will be told what you are to do."
Human beings like to be prepared for the future. We have garnered some wisdom from past experience. We think we have learned by the past and can use that knowledge as we make our plans. But there is so much we cannot understand about the past and the present, we're often unprepared for what actually happens.
if we're prepared for what God does in the present, it's because we've learned Job's attitude of ready expectancy. "We accept good things from the Lord; and should we not accept the bad? The Lord gives; the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."
Whatever happens is good. We hope we can see it that way. If it doesn't seem so today, perhaps it will soon.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.