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Sermon August 6, 2023
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, MSW
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s
The Transfiguration
https://lectionarypage.net/YearABC/HolyDays/Transfig.html
And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Luke 9:29
A couple of weeks ago, I saw the movie Oppenheimer. There aren’t necessarily any spoilers in this movie. It is known that he was involved with the creation of the first atomic bomb. Often he is called the “father of the atomic bomb.”
He led the Manhattan Project during World War II. The project began in earnest in Los Alamos, New Mexico in 1942. It was believed that scientists in the various warring countries were working on an atomic bomb. Who would develop it first was about who would control the technology and in create something that could destroy the world.
I like physics and actually did a work/study job in the Chairman’s office of the Department of Physics at Cornell University. I struggled with an easier physics course there, but passed with the help of a doctoral student who was my tutor.
I appreciated how the movie showed the physics and showed how Oppenheimer thought about the world. I was excited about the discoveries being made and also nearly in tears when the final bomb was created and test detonated.
And the decision to drop the bomb 78 years ago on this exact date on the Japanese City of Hiroshima and then three days later on Nagasaki will be debated forever.
The world was definitely transformed that day when the bomb was created. Many of us remember drills at school when they thought our desks would protect us from such a bomb’s blast.
Today in our Gospel, we read about a transformation or transfiguration of Jesus that was witnessed by Peter, James and John. Jesus had taken these disciples up to the mountain to pray and during that time, they saw Jesus face change and his clothes become dazzling white. They also saw Elijah and Moses speaking to Jesus.
Peter wants to memorialize the place and as he is suggesting this to Jesus, a cloud comes over them and as they walk in the cloud, they hear a voice, God’s voice, telling them that Jesus is God’s son and they are to listen to Jesus.
Now our reading today from Luke says that they kept quiet about what they saw. Obviously at some point they talked about it, because the event is in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark and the writer of Luke was not an eyewitness, so he heard it somewhere.
On that mountaintop, Jesus’ true identity was revealed. For the disciples, Jesus was transformed into something greater than they had imagined. While Luke says they did not speak of it, I believe they lived differently or listened to Jesus in a different way.
Maybe it confirmed that leaving everything and following Jesus was the right thing to do. Maybe it confirmed that Jesus’ teachings, which went against so much of the societal norms of the time were worth the risk and cost.
While the advent of the nuclear bomb and the use of it on Hiroshima and Nagasaki transformed our world in what we might think of a negative way, there have been positive efforts to transform and limit the destruction of the world from nuclear weapon proliferation.
In the summer of 1982, I was an intern in the Congressional office of then-Rep. Allen Ertel. There were wide-scale anti-nuclear bomb proliferation protests, including petitions to members of Congress. One of the major tasks I had was taking the names and contact information from the many petitions we received and typing them into a large computer that allowed us to send letters in response.
Apparently, the largest anti-nuclear protest was held on June 12, 1982, when one million people demonstrated in New York City against nuclear weapons. Then just 41 years ago yesterday, on August 5, 1982, close to another anniversary of the first use of the nuclear bomb on the city of Hiroshima, there was an evening debate on a House Resolution to address the nuclear bomb race. I had written a draft of Rep. Ertel’s remarks and while he wouldn’t read his entire statement on the floor of the House, the entire statement is in the Congressional Record.
Then House Speaker Tip O’Neill also spoke on the resolution. That was unusual and you could have heard a pin drop as he described seeing nuclear bomb explosions in 1953 at Yucca Flats and Frenchman Flats about 65 miles from Las Vegas, NV. The bombs he saw were twice the size of the one dropped on Hiroshima.
The Speaker called for passage of the resolution to stop nuclear bomb proliferation. While that resolution did not succeed at the time, it galvanized efforts for a nuclear weapons freeze and reduction.
As Mr. O’Neill said “The resolution we are considering today, in my opinion, addresses the most solemn and fundamental responsibility of the leaders of this country; preserving the lives of our citizens and the citizens of the world.” P. 19791, August 5, 1982 Congressional Record House
Jesus’ work of transforming lives and our world continues to this day through us who follow him. As followers we do all we can to support life. We do all we can to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves.
Amen
