|
What a Message
If someone strolled into our church service one Sunday, sandaled feet, crude, camel’s hair cloth covering him (and that is itchy stuff); a leather belt around his waist, probably sunburned or dirt tanned skinned, and a head full of dreadlocks or some unkempt hair, and munching on a locust dipped in wild honey in a paper cup, the ushers would jump up and gather the man by two arms and escort him out the double doors onto whatever street meanders pass that church. And that would be one great error.
 Yes, God had warned his people that one day there would be a messenger, not necessarily well kept, but he would be saying over and over, ”Prepare the Way of the Lord; make his paths straight.” If he was carrying a placard, we’d think, oh no, not another “one of those” we often saw on streets of big cities. I know police have a long list of ragged beggars and street urchins who ply the sidewalks of our city hoping to get some dollars to buy a sandwich, a ciga-rette or maybe even drugs. Would we just jerk back into our memories or think someone is making a movie downtown and the actor got the wrong location, or something similar? Some of us might have a flash back to the days of Vietnam and compare the guy to that era of being a hippy in the ‘60ties, and think, strange things are happening in the middle of our winter.
But every year, as December rolls in, we zing back in our Bibles remembering that the proph-et Isaiah really did alert us that this would happen - that a young man, not dressed like the norm, would shout out on our streets with the most verdant and important message we could imagine at this time of year, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” The poor traveler had probably been walking along the edges of the Mississippi River or the Rio de la Plata or surely the River Jordan, talking to those hanging out on the beaches or in their pad-dlewheel boats, or speedboats, as he tries to warn them that something good is about to happen. Prepare the way for the Lord. The Lord? What Lord, someone would suggest? Who is this weird man and how does he know these truths, and should we listen to him? Should we try this baptism in the water thing? True, there are masses following him now, I see, and may-be I should too. They call him John the Baptist and what he does, apparently, is baptize in the waters and bring good news about a friend of his called Jesus, who possibly could be the Savior about whom we have been anticipating and wanting.
There is nothing artificial or fake about this John the Baptist. Honesty is first for him. “I’m only Baptizing you with water,”, he declares, which is some sort of tradition already, “but the One who comes after me is so important” John said, that “I’m not worthy to stoop down and untie his sandals - He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit which comes from his Father God. “
Whaattt? I’m sure many of the followers and crowds thought. Let’s give it a try and see if things change in our miserable failures at life up to now. This is the one everyone has been talking about, anticipating, almost giving up hope about. Is this the new Messiah? It surely has ruffled the feathers of the Holy Powers like the Sadducees and the Pharisees and Pilate and the Roman rulers. John the Baptist, however, was not taken lightly.
Can you imagine if this happened today? Some might just flick their car lights to get the crowds of curiosity seekers out of the way. Others would be jamming the iPhone lines to tell their friends something is up and we all need to be there but wear a mask. And of course, the High Priests, so to speak, male and female, ready to take on some sort of Sunday service, some would feel the truth, others would not dare risk losing their powers so would continue on as if nothing was happening.
And the winds blow, and the river splashes up against the piers, and fishermen, coming home with their latest catch are agog, and people are running everywhichaway - where is this man who is baptizing in the river? Is it worth a look-see? How do we get there? Is the trolley run-ning? I think I read somewhere in the Old Testament that someone would come with a big message from God Almighty. Is this he?
I remember in the Hippie days if men wore sandals, they must be smokin’ marijuana or taking drugs. A friend from Florida in those days of the ‘60ties came to visit and wore sandals to a summer barbecue. People were horrified. He was designated a Hippie. His hair was just a about to touch his neck, but that was too long in those days. And how dare I bring him to my so-called friend’s home. Things change, don’t they? Now mountain climbers often hike in high-grade sandals. But God doesn’t change. He gets to us, in us, with us in whatever way is opened, because He doesn’t want us to miss out on the truth, on the Love, on the Hope, on the Salvation, on Heaven. It doesn’t matter what we wear. What matters is the heart, the soul, the faith, the hope. What matters is that we all hear the message that John the Baptist shout-ed all over the dirt roads and riversides of Jerusalem and Israel - as far as he could walk and hold up each day, not losing one customer, if possible, so all would know Jesus, the Son of God, was here. Right on this mark. Right on this ripple of wave. Right on this beach edge. Right in our hearts. Listen. Can you hear the message even today?
In the beginning of this, John was already jumping in the womb of his mom, who was family, cousin or friend of not yet Holy Mary. From within, one womb recognized the other, that here was someone he knew already, just through vibes, because each, at that moment, was still wound in the womb of their mothers, waiting at the starting gate, for example, then to leap out and do some big-time goodness on this planet called earth. Do you ever wonder if this kind of thing has taken place on other planets, maybe in other universes about which neither our skilled scientists nor explorers nor even Biblical historians have any inkling of possibly having happened elsewhere or not? Is God only confined to our tiny planet, does He only gift our blustery, beautiful, beseeched, blessed, believable, broad and battered terra firma?
John, an Essenes, a semi-ascetic Judaic sect who expected a Hebrew Messiah, was already an itinerant preacher who became accepted not only in Christianity, but in Islam, the Baha’l Faith and Mandaeism, as a saint or a prophet. Like the children of Abraham, John was a mi-raculous son of Zechariah, and old man, and his wife Elizabeth who had already passed out of menopause. As the angel spoke to Holy Mary about her bearing a child, so did angel Gabriel tell Zechariah, who was an Islamic prophet serving in the temple of Jerusalem, that he would also bare a son. So connected to Islam was John’s family, that John was one of the prophets whom Muhammed met on the night of the Mi’raj, his ascension through the Seven Heavens. He met both John and Jesus in the second heaven. John risked so much in his life, baptizing tax-collectors, advising soldiers, teaching charity, then he ended up in prison and had his head chopped off to please the daughter of Herod.
Curiously, though the two boys don’t seem to have known each other as children, John was the public relation man of the coming of Jesus, confirming scripture for all that He was on earth and that He would offer a baptism much more powerful than water, because it came from the Holy Spirit. It is a moving moment when John, who had encouraged all to accept the Baptism of Jesus. actually baptized Jesus by pushing the Son of God under the waters of the River Jordan. But once Jesus was submerged, then God took over and as Jesus rose up from the deep waters, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove, with a deep voice from heaven declaring “You are my Son, the Beloved. With you, I am well pleased.” Whenever I read that gospel in church, it brings tears to my eyes because that’s how I feel about my own son. In you, my beloved, I am well pleased. Amen.
~ Rev
---------------------------------
audrey@audreytaylorgonzalez.com
www.audreytaylorgonzalez.com
|
