This is the last Sunday in the season of Epiphany; the time we remember the revelation of deity to the world.  Christ revealed deity in multiple ways.  The stories from today’s readings are strange and peculiar.  They are challenging to the modern enlightened mind.  How can those of us who have such great understanding of the laws of physics accept the supernatural revelation of God?  It is a challenge to think beyond what can be proven and look at what is revealed.   Many people simply discard the miraculous portions of the Bible, or they refuse to believe in the Bible completely because it records supernatural events.

Our Old Testament lesson from the ancient book of 2^nd Kings tells us of the great prophet Elijah.   It is the story of how Elijah passed from this life into eternity.  Elijah was mentor to a younger prophet, Elisha, and they were walking together across the miraculously parted Jordan River.  Elijah discussed his passing and Elisha expressed a desire to be given a double portion of the spiritual strength of Elijah.  Suddenly a great chariot and horse that was bright as fire came between the two men.  While they were separated, Elijah was taken up into eternity in a whirlwind. 

The younger prophet, Elisha had sworn that he would not leave Elijah.  He wanted to cling to him and not allow him to die.  The bright fiery horse and chariot had to separate the two men so that Elijah could be miraculously taken away to eternity.  There are multiple references in the Old Testament to the glory of God being revealed as a bright light or pillar of fire.  

Our Gospel lesson is the story of the transfiguration.  Jesus took Peter, James, and John, the inner circle of disciples, with him up to a high mountain.  There Jesus began to shine brightly.  Even his clothes became dazzling white and illuminated.  Suddenly the two greatest leaders of the Old Testament appeared with Jesus; Moses and Elijah.   This supernatural event was to solidify the true nature of Christ to the disciples.  Jesus warned the three disciples, not to tell anyone about this event until after he died and rose again. 

Interestingly, tradition holds that both Moses and Elijah were spared from the normal suffering of death and were taken into eternity, but that would not be true of Jesus, he would indeed suffer and die.  However, Christ did not end with his physical death, but through the resurrection, the light of Christ is extended to the whole world.   

The glory of God is God’s love for the whole world.  God wants us to live full and happy lives peacefully together.  God’s love extends beyond human boundaries.  God’s love is not limited by political parties, national origin, the language one speaks, how wealthy one is, or anything else.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.   God’s love continues to shine brightly as a beacon to the world and a reminder to love one another.

While the Gospel of God’s wonderful love shines brightly, our reading from second Corinthians reminds us that God’s love is veiled at times.  It still exists as powerful as ever, but it becomes difficult for humanity to see God’s love because of what happens in the world.  The world’s structures and institutions can make it difficult to remember the Gospel and that God loves us.

Many people believe that the world referred to in the Bible as hiding God’s love only includes secular institutions, or perhaps other religions.  The Bible doesn’t really limit the definition of the word.  The “world” referred to in the Bible is the structures and institutions of society.  Unfortunately, one of those institutions is the church.  At times, the church becomes a veil of the love of God, hiding God’s love from others.  This happens far more than we realize.

Secular society can certainly veil the light of deity in our lives.  How often have we been misled by greed, vanity or false pride?  How often has cultural norms sunk to the depths of prejudice and hatred instead of the love that is proclaimed in the Gospel?   If given a choice, it appears that the majority of people would vote against basic human rights for those not like themselves; if Proposition 8 in California is any kind of guide on the matter.   Human rights cannot be left to a popular vote, or those who are in the minority will suffer every time.

There have been times when the church has cast people out when they need love and acceptance the most.  History is filled with examples of the church acting as if the Gospel doesn’t matter at all.  The Inquisition is a prime example of how ecclesiastical power can be used to harm others.   Bishop Martyn Mimms, of the newly formed, Anglican Church in North America, a group that split from the Episcopal Church over the issue of homosexuality, stated in a recent interview with Newsweek, that he is “more interested in people than in building institutions.”   Unfortunately, if that were true he would not be trying to build yet another institution, and he would be reaching out with love to all people, not just those who are heterosexual.

All too often the church has become a vehicle of hiding the Gospel.  The church has promoted worldly standards of prejudice and hatred by rejecting people simply because they fall in love with another of the same sex.  When Jesus was asked by an apparently homosexual man to heal his lover, Jesus did so.  He did not tell the man he had to stop being homosexual.  Instead, he boasted of the man’s great faith.

The Gospel of God’s love for everyone is contrary to the way that society functions.  Human beings like to pick and choose who they love.  The church, as an institution, has become no different from the world.  In fact, all too often it is the church that leads the way in promoting hatred and division rather than love.   Jesus however, is truly the light of the world.  Christ is the love that lights the way for each of us in our darkest hour.  Somehow, we must be capable of separating Christ from those who claim to be Christians in our minds.  We must recall that Christ loves us all unconditionally and wants to fill us with light and joy, in spite of the fact that most who claim to be followers of Christ react to those who are attracted to the same sex with anything but love.

2 Kings 2:1-12
Psalm 50:1-6
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Mark 9:2-9