God is Trans | 2025 Pre-Conference Devotional
“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, and his clothes became dazzling bright, such as no one on earth could brighten them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus.”
— Mark 9:2-4, NRSVue
To say that God is “trans” is a provocative statement.
The Human Rights Campaign defines transgender or trans as “an umbrella term for people whose gender identity is different from the sex assigned to them at birth. Although the word “transgender” and our modern definition of it only came into use in the late 20th century, people who would fit under this definition have existed in every culture throughout recorded history.”
How might this be a descriptor for God? As a transgender person myself, I love that the word “trans” is itself a prefix for a lot of other words; such as “transcend,” “translate,” or “transform.” All these terms talk about moving something “beyond” its original first audience or endpoint. I perceive my experience of being a transgender nonbinary person in a similar way - I am in some way going beyond how “gender” functions in our society. I experience “gender” in our society as an expectation that I behave according to a certain stereotype based on how my body looked when I was born. As a trans person, I find myself naturally resisting that stereotype by behaving according to both genders, or neither gender, going “beyond” society’s expectations for how I should behave.
Another “trans” word is used in the scripture passage above: “transfigured.” As we think about Jesus’ transfiguration, how might we be inspired to consider God as “trans?” We could specifically look at how God behaves beyond binary masculine stereotypes throughout scripture, since masculine pronouns and identifiers commonly used for God and Jesus and yet the Hebrew word for “spirit” is feminine. However, for today I want to explore this passage in more detail. I notice three ways Jesus goes “beyond” what’s expected or considered the norm or even possible.
First, Jesus takes a few of the disciples “apart” from the larger group and up to a high mountain. In the text, the separation of the 3 disciples from the larger group of 12 draws attention to the miracle Jesus is about to do, but it also reminds me that sometimes the most glorious things God does in our lives are things we don’t expect, or things that don’t take place in a stereotypical form of community. For many trans people, we might find belonging and miraculous connection with God and others in the moments we least expect it—at a drag brunch, an improvised eucharist, or a pride march.
Second, Jesus’ clothes become “dazzling bright, such as no one on earth could brighten them.” I love that even Jesus’ clothing goes beyond societal or earthly norms in this moment of transfiguration. The brightness goes beyond what experientially the disciples could have known was even possible. Similarly to how clothing can affirm our gender, whether trans or cis, Jesus’ clothing affirmed his divinity!
Finally, Elijah and Moses, long assumed dead/gone from earth, appear with Jesus on the mountain! Jesus goes beyond the limits of even life and death in this moment to show his power. This reminds me of the beautiful “rebirth” or “death-to-life” experience that many trans people perceive as they go through their transition processes.
Overall, this passage reminds me that Jesus doesn’t always meet our expectations. God can be considered “trans” because God goes beyond how we think God should act. How do you see God moving “beyond” the norms in your life?
