(based on the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ)

Jesus climbs his way up along with his climbing companions to illustrate for them the union of his life. The union with Elijah and Moses is second only to hearing his Father’s voice simply telling those companions and to the world, “Listen to him.”

No wonder those guys “trembled.” No wonder Peter wanted pitched tents to spend the rest of their lives on that mountain called Tabor. Is it any wonder that we wish to tent ourselves around significant moments in our lives. To hold on to them as though time stops. But it’s midnight now and the place you rented for your special occasion comes to an end. The guests left, the workers want to clean up and return to their homes and you and your family need to come down from that mountain. It’s now Monday and the new work week begins.

Memories details may fade but the feelings and sentiment cement themselves as life continues, even and especially through life’s other mountain, Golgotha.

The Tabor that acknowledges Jesus as the Christ is on the way to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the Christ purpose for living. Our Jerusalem is our living daily in Christ-like manners and behaviors. The extraordinaries make the ordinary purposeful and full of meaning. Our Tabors make our inevitable Golgotha’s bearable.

Joy and grief are separated by three letters. Happiness and sadness have that same simple separation. A Christ moment can be the union of those two supposedly opposite mountains, because both embody life; life here and the eternal one.

One mountain faithfully carries us through life and the other mountain? The other mountain completes it.