Epiphany 8C (2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2)

Each one of us has a unique worldview. We look at things with perspectives that have been shaped by personal experiences and expressed by concepts. All of us are somehow creating worlds that make sense to us. You and I can stand in the same place but our experiences would be quite different. Philosophers may say that this individually unique experience shifts our focus on the structure of the external world to the structure of the mind then to the structure of concepts. This worldview through which we make worlds is analogous to St. Paul’s image of a “veil” in today’s lesson. 

St. Paul talks about a biblical image of a “veil” that lies over the minds of his fellow Jewish people. This veil image comes from the story where Moses’s face shines too bright after his encounter with God and receiving of the two tablets of the covenant. His dazzling face triggers fear in the Israelites because of the belief that anyone who sees God face to face dies. There may be a glimpse of God in Moses’ face, which can kill them. So, he has to put a veil over his face to prevent everyone from seeing his face or from dying. (Exodus 34:29-35) St. Paul interprets this well-known story to criticize his fellow Jewish people’s unacceptance of the gospel that the veil still covers their minds. They cannot see God in Jesus face to face because their minds are still covered with the same veil triggered by fear of death. 

It’s worth questioning ourselves, “What veils do we cover our minds with? What’s my veil made of?” This is to ask three things: 1) Am I aware of my worldview? 2) If so, what worldview do I look at? And 3) What are the driving forces or motivating factors of this particular worldview? In the case of the Israelites, fear of death is the driving force of their veil. The way they see and relate to God is through death. This isn’t too different from hell-fire talks that depict God punitive, fearful, always watching over everyone’s shoulders. 

I’m not sure if our school system explicitly talks about various worldviews or what worldview it directly educates (or promotes) students with. Yet, one worldview that all of us are familiar with would be the First Amendment which protects one’s rights to the freedom of speech, press, assembly, and petition. It’s interesting to see that freedom is at the heart of both St. Paul’s lesson and the First Amendment. Paul says, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” and freedom in Christ uncovers the veil of fear. The First Amendment would say, “Where two or more Americans are, there is freedom of speech or expression.” and freedom is without fear of retaliation. It seems the opposite of freedom is fear that locks us and enslaves us in a certain state of illusion. 

I ask myself those three questions. The first two questions are hard to answer and the third one is even harder. To respond to these questions, I find myself in the place of contemplation because they bring me to honestly face my own biases, prejudices, etc. This is a challenging task that eventually leads to the place of metanoia where I’ve missed the mark, turning away from our old ways. While each one of us has various worldviews and different kinds of veils multilayered through our diverse experiences, the Christian worldview starts with Christ. Then, what matters more is not so much about defining what worldviews I have but rather having Christ reveal what they are and what they are made of so that we no longer live under the veil but with “unveiled faces.” 

Again and again, I come back to the inner place of contemplation. I also invite all of us to come. This is where Christ shines in us as Paul describes, “...all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord 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.” In Christ, our fear of death, which is the basis of all fears, is overcome. Our language of the resurrection in and of Christ becomes meaningful only when we truly experience our own overcoming of it in Christ. To do so is through being gazed by and gazing at God face to face in Christ. In doing so, we’re transfigured. 

Today, we celebrate the last Sunday after the Epiphany and this coming Wednesday begins the Lenten Season. We remember the light of Christ by embodying this light within ourselves and begin our Lenten Season with the same light so that we build hope upon hope. May we find the light of Christ every moment, especially when our old veils seem to linger. Amen.