The Word Showing Up Everywhere
"Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, his brother, and brought them to the top of a very high mountain. He was transformed in front of them."
—Matthew 17:1-2a, CEB
Once, a winter storm rolled through, and we listened to my husband’s favorite YouTuber, Ryan Hall, for days. I tended to tune it out while I journaled, read, or baked, but I kept hearing the phrase, “Check on your neighbors.”
Ryan was saying it. His observers out in the field were saying it. Even his trusty AI companion, YallBot, kept reminding viewers to check on their neighbors.
That refrain reminded me of my visit to the local Episcopal church and learning more about their outreach program dedicated to combating poverty and hunger in rural Appalachia. One of the ways they alleviate the effects of poverty is their Food Pantry, open Monday through Friday from 9-11 AM for their—you guessed it—neighbors.
Anyone who comes to select food, enjoy the monthly community meals, or request utility assistance—they're all neighbors.
Suddenly, this word "neighbors" was showing up everywhere. I heard it on a Queer Eye episode featuring a school teacher in Washington, DC, where they talked about the importance of community and how students look out for their neighbors.
Then, on Clergy Day in Minnesota, a friend of mine shared live videos from the streets. She was visibly moved by the care of neighbors for one another. Even as she was recording, a car slowed down, and a woman called through the open window to tell my friend to be safe and ask if she needed some hand warmers.
I don't know why this word is coming to mind right now. It could be because I'm working at a retreat center. Or, maybe because I tend to be independent, and it's a value I haven't fully embraced in my own life.
With all this stirring within me, I was invited to lead a retreat for United Women in Faith at a United Methodist Church in Chattanooga, using the scriptures of the Transfiguration. With this "neighbors" lens on my mind, I read about the transfiguration of Jesus differently this time.
He went to the mountain with his friends—Peter, James, and John—his community, his neighbors. And this circle of believers extended to include Moses and Elijah, too. It's in this circle that the Mystery is made real. In this circle, the voice of God is audible, the Truth is named, and they know Love is in their midst.
Our transformation doesn’t happen in isolation, though it may happen along the way. Our transformation doesn’t require a declaration, though others often witness it. Our transformation doesn’t always happen on the mountaintop, though it often happens among friends.
I'm hearing promptings of the Spirit to check on my neighbors and to be a good neighbor. I'm reminded that I need my neighbors, too. That's how the world is transformed, one person at a time.
As we move through the seasons, may we carry with us the warmth of noticing one another more fully, by checking in on our neighbors, receiving care as readily as we offer it, and remembering that transformation unfolds in community.
Whether your path leads you back to the Mountain or into the everyday holiness of your own neighborhood, may you become aware, in a new way, that you belong to a vast network of care.
REFLECT: Who Are Your Neighbors?
Who lives in proximity to you? Do you know their names?
Who shares your spiritual journey? Who witnesses your transformation?
Who needs you to check on them? Who checks on you?
Where do you see the Mystery made real in community?
