Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.  And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. (Matthew 17: 1-2)

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” (Matthew 17:9)

The place where the children and teens tend to hang out during the day is elevated. It sits above the entrance to the subway station. It is about three stories high. You can stand above it and watch the people walk in and out of the station. There is no protection or guard. It was exactly at this spot where Israel chose to jump. No one knows why. It was completely unexpected. They saw him standing on the edge watching the people coming and going out of the station. Then he was no longer there. It took a while for everyone to grasp what had happened, They looked down and saw him lying in a pool of blood. He was conscious but unable to move. We were not there at the precise moment. We arrived shortly after the incident. Gabriel told us what happened. I went to the spot where he jumped. At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to look down. After mustering all the courage I needed, I looked and saw the horrific sight. Instinctively, I told Mary not to look down. Israel was lying there screaming in pain and his head was resting in a puddle of blood. Even though the police were already there, no one was sitting with him. A small crowd had gathered; mostly other homeless adults. Everyone was at a loss, not knowing what to do. We decided to go down to where he was.

His legs were broken in several places. Miraculously, there was not much head trauma. He had a small cut that caused all the bleeding. However, it wasn’t too serious compared to his other injuries. Someone who witnessed his fall said that he landed on his head. We wanted to sit next to him but someone else took the initiative. She held his hands to comfort him. Then the ambulance came. They tried to set his broken leg in a way so that they could transport him. It took a while. Israel screamed in pain as they manipulated his leg. Finally, they left with him in the ambulance. He was transported to a hospital near our house. The commotion died down and all there was left was a puddle of blood and confusion. No one could understand why Israel jumped. No one believed that he was trying to comment suicide. Most likely, the police and the paramedics and even the doctors would think otherwise. Nevertheless, they don’t know Israel. They have never spoken to him. We have known him since he was 18 and now he is 24.

I wrote about celebrating his 18th birthday once*. It was the first and the last time we celebrated a birthday in the streets with cakes and all. We realized that after the first time that it provoked jealousy among the other children. Everyone began to feel resentful that there was no birthday party for them on their special day. We decided perhaps we needed to do things in a smaller scale and on more personal level. Regardless of this, we still believe that it was a good thing to celebrate his birthday then. Israel is a special young man. He doesn’t understand things like most of the other children. He dances to a different tune. Everyone knows that he is different but no one can put their finger on why.

I am not sure if we would get an answer from him if we asked him. I could speculate but I am not really in the mood to do it. It was quite tragic to see him in that state. I am grateful that he is alive. He sustained non-life threatening injuries. He will be fine in a few months time. However, the whole incident moved us. None of children, including us, knew what to make of it. Everyone was quiet. Something sacred has happened. We saw Life being manifested in a very dark circumstance. We saw Israel screaming and struggling to hang onto life even though he attempt to take a plunge into the abyss of death. The desire for Life prevailed this time. It was a gift. However, we wished it was presented in a different package.

I started this week reflecting about the passage in the gospel about the Transfiguration. It has always been a difficult episode to relate with our everyday life, especially in the streets with the children. It seems like an event in the gospel that is so distant from the reality of homelessness. I was tempted to skip this passage and move on to something else. However, strangely, this gospel passage became clearer in the light of this situation. I witnessed a young man who had a close encountered with death, then desperately tried to grasp life. He walked between these two realities all his life. However, when he saw death up close, he realized that he still desired life. He still had hope for his life. He did not want it all to end.

As I was standing there and witnessing Israel’s plight, I saw God’s image in Israel. He held within his person an aspect of God that perhaps only Israel can reflect. It is not something that I can explain away. It was just a reality that manifested itself. I saw it clearly and I did not want to this unique image to be erased from our existence permanently. Everyone who stood there shared this sentiment, albeit they won’t express it in the same manner.

The disciples saw in Jesus the fullest potential of humanity. The divine and human being were reconciled in the Transfiguration. It is the hidden desire of our souls. We want our lives to be connected with something higher and greater than what we are confronted with in this life. All sense of hopelessness stems out of this fear that our lives are insignificant. We need the divine Light to shine through us so that our true image of God will be reflected in the world. Then the disciples saw Jesus being transformed by the Light. They knew that this was a possibility. It was no longer just wishful thinking. The eternal can become part of our humanity.

It is no wonder that Peter did not want to leave the place. He wanted to secure this encounter for eternity. He did not want to return to his previous existence where nothing was certain; where the dreaded sense of loss and desperation was a constant threat. When I saw Israel lying there on a pool of blood, I wanted to turn away and be as far as possible from such pain and suffering. It was too overbearing. I would rather make my abode where humanity’s hope is fully manifested like in the Transfiguration. I did not want to be in the midst of pain and suffering.

The biblical story ends with a tragic statement. “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” This life transforming episode did not change the harsh reality of life. This encounter with the fullness of hope and life did not eradicate the unjust and cruel death awaiting our Lord. Life still goes on tragically. The disciples were reminded that nothing has changed in one sense. They still have to face the darkness. However, they have seen the Light. They have seen something to help them make sense of it all. This is their reward and compensation. There is reconciliation that awaits us together with all the pain and suffering. Humanity is not abandoned to the elements. The divine is waiting to embrace us with open arms and say, “You are my Beloved.”

We attempted to visit Israel several times at the hospital. Visiting the homeless sick is not an easy task. We need to have the right information like their birthday and mother’s name. Three attempts and none were successful. However, I believe that our next attempt will get us there. He is still under observation. He needs to go through several surgeries. I believe and pray that he will come through it all. We need to see the image of God imprinted in Israel’s soul. It brings joy to many. Maybe even to those who never realized it until the day they saw him pleading for his life. We need him in our lives.