In response to Glory

I have just returned from a wonderful week of "rehabbing" an old house in New Orleans for a victim of Hurricane Katrina. It was for me a wonderful week. I had something to do all week. I love doing that kind of work, and there were great people to work with. So there is a part of me that can identify with Peter in the story of the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-9). That is the story when Jesus takes three of his disciples up a mountain, and he is transfigured. Jesus is clothed in splendor and encounters Elijah and Moses. Caught up in that moment of amazement, wonder, mystery, and glory, the first thought Peter has is to build something. Peter says something like, Golly, this is great that we were here. Let's build three booths. One for each of them.

It is equally fascinating to me that Jesus completely ignores that suggestion. Certainly Peter demonstrates the great desire that most of us have to do something, to respond to these glorious moments, to somehow preserve and perpetuate the wonder and mystery of holy experiences. Here is a holy place and it ought to be marked by some monument so that we can find it again and perhaps be touched by the glory again and again. Building something to honor, to proclaim, to testify to, to reflect the "mysterium tremendum" of the holy in our lives is deeply ingrained in us. One only needs to look around at the churches, synagogues, cathedrals, mosques, temples to see how magnificently the desire to reflect the transcendent into the physical is.

On the dark side there are tons of concrete and steel that have been built by religious people in order simply to keep a congregation together on some visible goal. It is well acknowledged by religious leaders that congregations need goals and visions. That all congregations want to be "doing the Lord's work" and successful religious leaders quickly discover that the best goal is a new building, or a renovation project. "Always keep them in debt and always have something that they need to build and you will have much better luck keeping the community together." College Presidents have the same understanding.

But Jesus does not dignify the suggestion of Peter by a response. In fact, as they come off the mountain he tells his disciples not even to mention it to anybody until after his death and resurrection. Jesus does not seem to have the least little interest in buildings and structures. His consistent focus is on living a life that is befitting the Kingdom of God. He talks about the Beatitudes as to who will be blessed in the Kingdom. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and spirit and love your neighbor as yourself." His judgment at the end is suggested to be on how you treated the poor, the naked, the thirst, the prisoner, without any thought about how it might benefit you.

Which seems to me to suggest that if we do have this deep innate desire to respond to the Holy and to bear witness to the holy by building something, then we might do very well to focus primarily on building homes for the homeless, building health care centers for the poor, paying for legal defense of the defenseless, digging wells for clean water in dry lands, on building better schools for all children. The best response to the revelation that Jesus is the one through him we most clearly see the love and grace of God is not to build more booths, but to share that love with others by building a better community for those who need it.