The Face of Christ, Transfiguration
(Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9)
In early May 2003, a cloud descended on Cannon Mountain near Franconia Notch,
New Hampshire. Near the top of the mountain, obscured in the cloud, was a rock
formation that had become the state symbol for New Hampshire, because in
profile, it looked like the face of a man and so had come to be known as the Old
Man of the Mountain. This famous rock profile was engraved on New Hampshire
license plates and other materials promoting the state.
Because of the effects of wind and rain and the natural splitting of the rocks, the rock formation was in danger of falling and so steel cables and turnbuckles had been installed in a valiant effort by state officials to try to keep the face intact and in place. But on the night of May 3, 2003, a mighty crash of rock was heard from below and people feared the worst. When the clouds lifted from the Notch, people looked up to see that the face was gone from the mountain. The rocks that had composed the Old Man of the Mountain profile had fallen in a great rockslide. Nature and erosion had worked to erase the face.
As Moses and Elijah were departing from Jesus on the Mount of
Transfiguration, a cloud came down on the mountain and enveloped them and the
voice of God the Father spoke from the cloud about Jesus, “This is my Son, my
Chosen One, listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, the cloud lifted and the
glorious face of Jesus was gone, replaced by his regular human face. Peter had
suggested that they stay on the mountain, worshipping Jesus and fellowshipping
with Moses and Elijah, but they had come to speak with Jesus about his exodus,
about his departure from the land of the living at Jerusalem, and after the
visitors and the cloud and the voice, Jesus turned his face toward Jerusalem and
the suffering and salvation that lay ahead for him. After the cloud lifted the
face of Christ was gone from the mountain, because he did not stay there to be
worshipped, but made his way down the mountain to perform healings and to teach
and to make his way to the cross to die for our salvation.
Peter Kirby 2/17/2007 Carlinville IL
kirbypc@frontiernet.net