“Losing the Veil – Life in Christ”

Sermon Preached By The Rev. Bruce Sanguin
February 18, 2007

Exodus 34:29-35     2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2     Luke 9:28-36

            All of the readings this morning deal, in one way or another, with the problem of radiance. By radiance I mean simply the presence or light of God that shines out of all creation, including you and me. It’s not really a problem for creation – the flash of a red-wing blackbird’s wing against the blue sky, the morning sun on the snow-laden mountains across the Burrard inlet – these we regard as simple, beautiful blessings of the Creator. “The whole word”, says the poet Hopkins, “is charged with the glory of God.”

            The problem begins when that same radiance, the glory of God, shines out of human beings. We don’t know what to make of it. Take the story from Exodus today. Moses goes up a mountain to commune with the Holy One, and returns with a beaming countenance, which you’d think would be an unambiguously good thing. But see what happens? Moses goes in to talk with the people, so they get to see the radiance. But then, before it wears off Moses covers his face with a veil, and then goes back up the mountain to get recharged. What’s going on?

            What’s at stake in this passage is Moses authority as a leader. His radiance is what convinces the people that he really is God’s representative, fit to lead them. But Moses knows that this is a finicky lot. They’ve already come close to offing him because things didn’t go quite according to their plans. Moses is keenly aware that his authority as a leader, and perhaps his very life, depends upon his personal wattage. So before the shining wears off he puts a veil over his face. Notice that radiance is believed to be located exclusively here in a chosen individual. He’s got the glory and so he’s got the responsibility! And the people like it that way.

            Something about this passage resonated with the early Christian community because first Paul and then the gospel writers do a theological riff – a little Midrash – on the story.  In the gospel story, known as the transfiguration, Jesus takes three disciples up the mountain (like Moses), and has a chat with two Jewish prophets, Moses and Elijah. Jesus’ radiance apparently is overwhelming. Then, when Moses and Elijah disappear, Peter suggests building three booths, one for each of the prophets. But the writer of the story says that Peter didn’t know what he was saying. His mistake apparently was putting Jesus on par with the other two. They should have noticed, according to the gospel tradition that Jesus’ radiance was brighter and more enduring. Here again, like in the story of Moses going up the mountain, the light of the transfiguration is used by the gospel writer to suggest that Jesus alone was God’s special envoy. The disciples should be listening to him, and not the other two. Once more, radiance is located exclusively in the leader – Jesus of Nazareth.

            But you know, Paul gets it. He takes the same passage from Exodus but comes to a radically different conclusion – namely “all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of God as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3: 12 -4:2).

“All of us”. There’s the key.  Holy radiance doesn’t just shine out of special individuals, chosen by God. God doesn’t work that way. We’re all chosen, all full of glory. Toss the veils, friends. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, as the children’s song goes. This journey through time is about being transformed by the same image that shone from Christ, from one degree of glory to another. We’re meant to evolve in our capacity for radiance – that’s the spiritual path. As if reading our mind and hearing our silent protest, Paul writes that this radiance comes from the Spirit – it’s not about us so get over it.

            This is the little secret that we keep even from ourselves. We like the arrangement by which only certain “others” are specially called. It lets us off the hook. We’ll let them shine. Some congregations make a habit of this. If they perceive that the minister’s light is not shining quite brightly enough, so much for their leader. We like the light being located in someone else. Then when it doesn’t work out we have a scapegoat.  Everybody’s all worked up these days over whether Canadian Muslim women should wear a veil or not. But folks, let’s first ask if we ourselves wear the veil that keeps our radiance from shining out. It’s a lot easier to hide behind the veil and call it humility than to tear it off and let Christ shine through us.

            That’s my experience anyway. In my own life, I know what it means that we are called to go from one degree of glory to another. It’s terrifying, because the more light that comes through, the more exposure – the more people can see you. I’m currently in a phase of my life when God seems to be calling me to increase the wattage, to go public – write books, do public talks and workshops, speak out about a progressive Christian faith – not from the safety of this sanctuary, not preaching to the choir – but out there in the public, where they eat Christians alive! Ok, I’m exaggerating a bit. At least I hope I’m exaggerating.  God’s calling me to let my light shine, but here’s the thing. If it were all about me, I’d be sunk. But it’s not “my” light. It’s the light of Christ, or the light of Spirit – Paul says they are the same thing actually.

 This is where our egos get all caught up. We’ve been told that it’s Christian to be modest and humble. We’ve learned to associate humility with low wattage. But if it’s really not about us – if we really get that it’s about Spirit shining through the person we call “me” – then humility means getting out of the way of the radiant Spirit. Like that saying goes – who am I to not let the light shine. And that’s frightening. And the reason it’s frightening is that when my ego tries to convince me that it is about me, then I start thinking things like “I’m not smart enough, I’ll blow it, I’ll be criticized...yada yada yada.” You know the voice. And then the still, small voice of Christ whispers, “get over yourself” – let it flow.

That’s why at CMUC we’re going with Paul’s take on the matter. Each of you is a center of divine radiance. You are called to go from one degree of glory to another – the Spirit’s glory, Christ’s radiance.  You see, I think Jesus invites all of us up the mountain, not to build booths or any other kind of monument to him or anybody else. I think he takes us up there so that we can get a glimpse of the glory that shines out from all of us.  When you come to the table this morning, think of it as going up the mountain with Christ. The same light that shines in Christ shines still today through willing souls.