When I was a teenager, we called them pimples. Today I understand they are called zits. Back then, I thought they were an unavoidable rite of adolescence that would pass once I became an adult. Not so, l learned later on in life, for even at my age, a zit can flare up unexpectedly.
To the person who has one, this blemish may stand out like a sore thumb so you pray that no one notices but you suspect that they do. Granted, its presence mars the beauty of your face for a few days but then, thank God, it disappears. Of course, as some teens well know, zits can leave scars. I recall my older sister doing all she could to prevent pimples from happening. She avoided chocolate because she believed that caused them. She even went to a dermatologist who taught her how to pop them properly to prevent scarring.
When we see someone with a zit, does it distract us from seeing the whole person? If it isn’t a pimple, it could be a scar, or a mannerism, the presence of certain jewelry, or a lingering aroma. Distractions prevent us from noticing that there is more to the whole person than meets the eye.
That was what the apostles discovered when Jesus was transfigured before them on the high mountain. In this powerful moment, they realize that Jesus is far more than a rabbi whom they had been listening to for several years. They learn he is God’s beloved son. Imagine how dumbfounded they must have been to finally understand who Jesus of Nazareth truly was. He would never look the same to them again.
Transfigurations happen to us as well. It is an event or an incident that enables us to see someone, even ourselves, in a new light. Though they are brief, the moments linger in our memories, moments when we come to better understand and know that person or ourselves.
Many of us tend to label other people, even ourselves, with one or two word definitions. We might make a generalization of a member of our family or a neighbor, for example, as being kind, loving, frugal, considerate, or hot tempered. We might label a fellow employee or friend as being fun to be with, hard working, lazy, generous or cheap; we may define ourselves as being any or none of the above as well.
We watch others in action and label them by what they say or do. Perhaps we are right on the mark in defining who they are, but most likely, we are only seeing a part of the picture. Before jumping to any conclusions, we should ask ourselves, “Are we focusing too much on that person’s zit?” Just as there is more to an iceberg than what shows above the surface, there is more to a person than what we see.
A person, whom we catch in a bad mood and write off as being cranky, may in fact be a very loving parent, a devoted spouse, a joy to his or her friends, but being human, like us, he or she has flaws. There is more to us than can be summarized in a single sentence, much less a word or two for we are incredibly complex creatures made in the image of God.
Having been made in God’s image, our quest in life, as Paul pointed out in his letter to Timothy is to grow in holiness. To achieve that, we must allow ourselves to become transfigured by discovering and working with all that we have; our strengths along with our shortcomings.
We become transfigured when we let the best in us shine forth; dwelling not on our shortcomings but on seeking to be all that God calls us to be: holy, loving, forgiving, and merciful. Divine like qualities of unconditional love, wisdom, tolerance, and compassion, to name but a few, are waiting like a rosebud to blossom forth from within us.
We are composites of positive and negatives qualities and depending on the situation we find ourselves in, we can display traits of both kinds. When we are critical, we can still be compassionate. If we are demanding, we can also be gentle. If we are sometimes offensive, we can still be gracious. We can heal as much as we can hurt. We can be afraid as readily as we can be brave. Along with all our faults, weaknesses, and sins, we are blessed with talents, strengths, and virtues. And what is true for us is true for every person in our lives. What we choose to see in ourselves and in others, though, is up to us.
Whenever we focus too much on the blemishes, that is, the flaws, shortcomings, and sins, either ours or someone else’s, we miss out on an opportunity to become the holy person that God is calling on us to be.
Our transfiguration begins with a change of attitude. We can indeed become holy people! Keep in mind, every saint was also a sinner. The task is not impossible for holiness emerges when we endeavor to grow toward God and away from our self-centeredness. To be holy is to follow the example of Jesus. Lent abounds with opportunities to do just that. For example, is there anyone in your life whom you struggle to love? A step toward holiness would be to shower that person with kindness and love. In the spirit of this season, we are called to reconcile and forgive; that too is a step toward holiness, forgiving someone just as we are asking God to forgive us for our shortcomings. Lent is a time to fast, so think of fasting from those negative habits that cut you off from celebrating love, such as verbal or physical abuse of any kind.
Too often we treat others poorly and without much love when they don’t meet our expectations, because we focus on their “zits” rather than the whole person. Fortunately, God does not do that and if we followed his example, neither would we.