Legitimate Experience

Today’s Gospel Text: And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them, 3 and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Eli'jah with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Eli'jah." 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were exceedingly afraid. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." 8 And suddenly looking around they no longer saw any one with them but Jesus only. Mark 9:2-8

Reflection:  Experience is a great teacher, we cannot think of sound learning without experience, hence the great emphasis on audio-visual presentation of knowledge.

In our modern time the onset of digital technology has further boosted the audio-visual element in learning. The virtual world it creates almost brings us closer to a reality, sometimes fathomed better within the four walls rather than in the actual situation.

While learning from experience there are always two things that need to be kept in mind; the first is the outcome that the stimuli of experience brings about in the subject and the second is that of the experience itself.

A particular stimulus may be interpreted differently by different people. So we have the same experience and yet different outcomes.  On the other hand we have, the situation of a false or pseudo-experience and yet we may in keeping with our goals arrive at logical arguments and explanations concerning our experiences and proclaim them as truth.

Christ Jesus himself is an experience and he claims to be that perfect experience, the way, the truth and the life. (cfr. Jn. 14: 6)

If he is that highest form of experience then we need to give him that consideration among our many goals, to seek and know whether he really is the one whom we need to seek as our most valued goal of life. 

In the gospel, Jesus is fulfilling that need in us which seeks to experience the highest and relevant truth, which would help the Apostles to even willingly lay down their lives for the sake of this experience and take up wiling leadership of the church.

We too need to build our faith, not just on abstract theological knowledge and doctrine but also on the experience which Jesus is wanting to give us or has given us at various moments in life.  

Hence, it should be built not on experiences which we create for ourselves in order to understand and believe the faith better but on the experience which Christ gives his disciples.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that according to the riches of your glory, I maybe strengthened with might through your Holy Spirit in the inner man, so as to know, understand and experience the truth. (cfr. Eph 3:16)

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