Prepare the way of the Lord

I would like to paint a picture for you, if I may, of the person I see in my minds eye when I read about John the Baptist in the Scriptures. Although very little is said of him, He is described as wearing Camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist. He fed on Locusts and Wild Honey. Not much more is given to us, other than it seems as though he lived in the wilderness. I'm sure that there's some significance to the Camel hair and leather belt, but it escapes me.  I imagine that there were markets in the day, but I doubt that they were running specials on Locusts and wild honey. I'm guessing John had to forage for what he ate. It probably would have been easier and more appealing to maintain a different kind of diet. Even so, once he started attracting a following, it would be nothing to require his followers to bring food with them as a form of payment, if you will, to hear his message.

Not only this, but John the Baptist doesn't seem to be very nice. In this Sunday's Gospel, he calls the Pharisees and Sadducees a "brood of vipers!" He asks them "Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?" and he demands that they "Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance." In other readings he calls out Herod and Heroditas as the sinners that they were.

The thing is though, he seems to be a bit of a madman, doesn't he? I propose for your consideration the idea that we probably wouldn't like John the Baptist very much if he came today. We don't like to hear the message that we need to change. We don't want to hear about "the coming wrath." If anyone speaks of trees being cut down and thrown into the fire, well, we get defensive about THAT message: "Who are you to judge anyone? Only God can judge."

And yet Jesus himself gives testimony to John the Baptist: "I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John;" (Luke, Chap 7, verse 28)

But that is the message: Turn from sin and return to God. Yes, I know that I am a sinner; I have no problem admitting that. We all are - it has been said that the saints in heaven are sinners that never gave up trying to make a return the the Lord. Saint Pope John Paul the Great went to confession daily; he was a sinner that never gave up.  I know, even though I try as hard as I may to behave better - I find that I often make the wrong choices, sometimes habitually. I nurture grudges and take offense easily. I ignore people and situations where I could, if I wanted, be of assistance to someone in need (and Jesus in them.) Sometimes I am not in a good mood and I'm short or unkind to others  (and to Jesus in them.) And I'm rude - not in a way that is born out of Love, like John's "unkind" remarks to the spiritual and political leaders of the day. So I need to be reminded to leave my sinful ways and return to God.

Even though no one really likes to hear the message that they need to make changes in their life,  perhaps that is just the message that we all need to hear; "Prepare the way of the Lord......."

I pray that a truly transforming Advent is yours;
                                                                                 + Theo