Maryland, founded in the early 17th century and named after
the French consort of Charles I--Henrietta Maria, is considered to be the
birthplace of religious freedom in America as it was intended as a refuge for
persecuted Catholics of England. 1829 is generally taken to be the chief moment
marking the emancipation of Catholics in both the UK and Ireland. In 1955, Rosa
Park, in defying the order to give up her seat to a "white" person,
inaugurated the modern civil rights movement.
The founding of a state, the Act of Parliament granting
freedom of worship and the civil rights movement are just a few examples
representing the exciting breakthrough in the evolution of freedom. And, they
might just help us appreciate better the feast of the Transfiguration.
Firstly, what is the Transfiguration? As a theological
event, it is regarded as a turning point in the ministry of Jesus. Just before
ascending Mount Tabor, Peter had confessed the Messiahship of Jesus and that He
is the son of the living God. On the mountain, it culminates in an experience
which according to Matthew parallels the revelation on Mount Sinai. Moses
representing the Law and Elijah standing for the prophets both had ascended
Mount Sinai/Horeb to consort with God. Now here they are again on a mountain
speaking to the God-made-man, thereby confirming the confession of Peter that
the Messiah is indeed Jesus and foretelling His impending Passion. From
Matthew's perspective, the Transfiguration fulfils the Old Testament longing
for the Messiah.
Within this theological narrative, Matthew proceeds to
describe the Transfiguration in vivid details--His face shone and His clothes
became as white as the light. The question is, what exactly did the Apostles
experience? The truth is that we inhabit a demythologised world where magic and
fantasy have more credibility than any miracles connected with Jesus. The
demythologisation of scripture means that Jesus did not rise from the dead. An
explanation for the resurrection is that He rose in the hearts of people. The
multiplication of loaves nothing more than a persuasion of the crowd to share
their food with each other. Or, the Transubstantiation is not a change in
objective reality but rather it symbolises a change in subjective appreciation,
hence Transignification. Seen in this context of a demythologised world, the
Transfiguration was not really an experience of the supernatural. It might just
be one of those interior experiences of the Apostles much akin to what we call
mass hysteria, group hallucination or auto-suggestion.
The point here is not to desacralise the experience but
rather to read the Transfiguration as more than an event that confirms the
confession of Peter or portends Christ's coming Passion. The transformed body
of Jesus is a foretaste of and also an anticipation of our appearance in glory.
Eucharistic Prayer III reminds us that "from the earth, He will raise up
in the flesh those who have died and transform our lowly bodies after the
pattern of His glorious body".
This supernatural event allows us to appreciate better the
notion of liberation. Earlier on, I enumerated the founding of a state, the
emancipation from restrictions placed on religious belief and the genesis of
the modern civil rights movement. It would appear that progress is an inexorable
march to greater freedom. But, what is liberation for? If the Transfiguration
is the model for this liberating progress, then liberation is freedom from the
tyranny of sin. However, when framed in the glossary of the pursuit of
happiness[1],
life and liberty etc, the focus shifts to an almost economic expression and it
is concretised through the language of choice—the choice to pursue the best
possible way to happiness. However, note that the liberation envisaged by the
framers of the Constitution for the 13 Colonies takes its reference from who we
are--that we have been created in the image and likeness of God and therefore
we possess inalienable rights. Thus, it makes sense that caste, creed or colour
should not determine how one is treated.
Whereas for now, the notion of liberation has taken its
inspiration not from the movement from sin to grace, that is, from who we are
to who we are supposed to be. Instead, its inspiration is firmly grounded in
who we want to be. We "should be free" to create ourselves according
to our image and likeness and even God is to be shaped according to our fads
and fancies. Sadly, this self-referential genius is aided by an increasing
technicalisation of life. Now, at the push of a button we are able to
"solve" all problems. This process has contributed to the distancing
of the notion of freedom from sin meaning that freedom is no longer anchor on
the notions of good and right. Instead, all that matters is that “solution” and
not salvation has become the goal of human existence. This is confirmed by the
proliferation of pharmacies. The ubiquity of this institution of cures is also
indicative of the therapeutic culture we have become. In therapy, we are
concerned with cures (read: solution) and thus liberation is a form of cure in
which we are freed from sickness rather than from sin. God is no longer
necessary for our salvation. We are our own saviour with a result that we
seldom think of freedom as freedom from sin.
The idea of liberation, that is, the process of moving
towards greater freedom, is important. But, this freedom which we prize so much
must find its goal in the salvation that is brought about by the Lord. A desire
for this salvation would require a disengagement from sin so as to fulfil what
the Preface suggests: He, in revealing His glory, might show how in
the Body of the whole Church is to be fulfilled what so wonderfully shone forth
first in its Head.
[1] The idea that freedom is for the pursuit of
happiness is never absolute. Happiness is but a foretaste of heaven. But, in a
demythologised world, where heaven is situated on earth, then freedom is
unhinged from its celestial mooring. Everyone should be free to do anything and
everything. Take a look at the expanding phenomenon of the gated community. The
strength of our security is not augmented by the ghettoisation of our security
meaning that we are not better protected by the increased in armed security.
Gatedness is a false indication of security. The British Bobbies no carry guns
and why is that so? The British recognise that violence against an officer of
the law is taboo. Taboo whose function is to protect society (and sadly
sometimes to preserve the status quo as well), in a demythologised culture, is
now considered to be a crimp on style, meaning that, taboo upsets the exercise of
choice and the freedom to be. But, taboos play a role in directing freedom to
its original intention which is to enable Man to be who he is supposed to be.
