There’s a song that just came out, it’s called “Come to the Table”, by Sidewalk Prophets, a Christian music group. The song is about how we are all called to the table of the Lord, regardless of who we are, the motley crew we comprise. It is a beautiful song, and the visuals in the video are amazing – you should give it a listen. And as I reflected about the readings, I couldn’t help but think about how we are constantly being invited to His table, to God’s table, how He leads us up the mountain in each one of our lives, guiding us up through our struggle, whether we realize it or not, just reaching out to us, wanting to pull us to Him.
Today, this season of Lent, and life in general is about the journey up the mountain. Sometimes the climb is steeper, other times it levels out. Abraham literally journey’s up a mountain with his son Isaac, who Abraham is about to sacrifice because God is calling him to. But see, God of course doesn’t want Abraham to actually sacrifice and kill his son, but God is testing Abraham, and making him stronger through that test, growing his faith and his spiritual strength through the journey.
And then there is Jesus and the familiar account of the Transfiguration. I’ve written about this at least three other times, and the one thing that stuck out this time was the phrase that Jesus “led them up a high mountain…”
In past reflections, I wrote about the journey up the mountain before, and what happen on the mountain, but I never focused on or really noticed this before – that Jesus led them. Jesus was leading them up the mountain up to the table, a little slice of Heaven, here on earth. Jesus is here to lead us.
Abraham was being led to the table, an altar, where he was going to do what God was asking him to do, and he was being led to God Himself, and in the process learning of God’s covenant with humanity, His plan, and His ultimate Love.
And so here we are in Lent – 2018. I think of the motley crew of humanity that we are, how we are all different – saints, sinners, different races, cultures, religions. But yet Christ is here in this world, with us, leading us up our respective mountains in our lives, guiding us, pulling us up. Some may know it, others may not. Be He is here for all of us, as many as the stars.
He is here to transfigure us, to transform us to who we are supposed to be. He is here to lead us up through the trials in our life, even when they don’t make sense, and it is our simple duty to trust Him.
Simple, but not so simple. Simple, until you step out into the world.
We are all so different, so diverse. But there is so much beauty in that diversity. Like in the movie The Shack, I think of us as a beautiful garden, so many flowers and plants of all types abound – some elegant and vibrant, some large and some small. Some are thorny, and some are poisonous. And from eye level it all appears to be wild mess, and overgrown, out of control. But when you look at it from above, from another perspective, the flowers and plants are arranged in patterns and designs that are so beautiful, so perfect, so complimentary that it can only truly be divine. It is artwork. A masterpiece.
I know, when we’re down here in the thick of it, with all the hate and anger and depression and pain in this world, seeing how we are affected and traumatized and influenced by all the violence, by things like the shootings in Florida and else ware, the depression and suicide that is more rampant by the day, and we often cope with things like drugs, sex, money, hate and anger – it often appears as if we are wild and out of control. Often we are.
It’s only when we finally get to the top of that mountain, that perhaps we’ll finally see the beauty and purpose and reason in it all. But we can even do this to an extent today, and Jesus is here to help us do that – not only to get to the ultimate pinnacle in Heaven, but to help us see the beauty around us day to day.
Step back and see the patterns, see the beauty. Look to Jesus to lead you up the mountain. I hate the violence and the pain, but try to see some good, and the change that comes from it. And try to understand, and try to learn from it, see into the people and seek to learn what makes each other tick, why we might make certain choices and take the actions we do, both good and bad. If we can see the things that shape people, including ourselves, into the person we are, we’ll never be able to learn from it and change.
We cannot truly be led up the mountain, we cannot accept a seat at His table unless we work through the pain and struggle and uncertainty of life, unless we wade through the waters of grief and hurt, and unless we ask for help from Above. This is what purifies us, what brings us to Him. Those tears we shed for humanity around us open up the gates for Christ to enter our heart and soul, and those around us.
As much as it hurts, deep down we are being brought closer to Him. He is pulling us one step closer to Him, step by step up the mountain to where we will be changed for eternity, and with each step, closer to His table. This is really God’s covenant with us, that He will never leave us, that He will use our journeys and struggles in life to purify us, to strengthen us, to pull us closer to trust in Him, preparing us for the next leg of the journey.
Prepare to follow. Prepare to be transfigured. Let Him lead you up the mountain to His table.
GN 22:1-2, 9A, 10-13, 15-18; PS 116; ROM 8:31B-34; MK 9:2-10
