Our God of the Promise
In Advent, like the child we once were, we eagerly await the coming of Christ as an infant in Bethlehem. At the same time, we invite him into our hearts in the present, the “now” of our lives. And we look forward to his future coming as king of glory. Dwelling in the past or wishing for a perfect future can keep us from hearing the will of God NOW, in our today. Many recognize in Pope Francis a voice that is, like that of John the Baptist, crying in the wilderness … urging us forward in the present to mend the past as we confront the life as it greets us today, in the NOW of our lives.
The opening lines in Mark’s gospel greet us with the words: “the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ”. But, the first character we meet is not Jesus, but John the Baptist, the fiery preacher who came out of the desert where he lived on honey and locusts. And, he is no fashion plate, with his camel’s hair clothes, leather sandals, and leather girdle around his waist. His diet was very simple: locusts (grasshoppers) and wild honey. This is important, or it would not be here. It is symbolic. But what does it symbolize? Well, you cannot wear anything more fundamental in the way of clothing, or eat a more basic diet, than John did. It is representative of his ministry — one of simple beginnings. It is not the end; it is the beginning.
John is very honest. He says, “Don’t look to me for answers beyond what I have already told you. That must come from another, who is coming right after me. He is so much greater than I. I am not even worthy to untie his shoes.” Remember, this was Jesus’ cousin, his elder by six months, that he was talking about! You’ll recall John jumped for joy, (maybe he was dancing) in his mother’s womb when he was introduced to Mary and Jesus. John could bring people to God, but he could not take them beyond that. Something drew these people into the desert to listen to this strange and rugged young preacher proclaim good news. That’s all he did! He never told how it worked, or why; he just announced it. And, this was in a desert in the wilderness. But it worked, in part because In John’s day, as now in ours, people needed to know they can begin again.
But, keep in mind what the prophet Isaiah said about John’s message. This business of reconciliation will resemble a great bulldozer, building a highway in the middle of nowhere. (I wonder if they put in roundabouts?) John was God’s bulldozer to build that highway. We know how roads are built; we see the process in almost any direction we go on the highway. Isaiah says: “Every mountain shall be brought low, and every valley shall be lifted up; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places plain.” And, that is what repentance does. It bulldozes down all the high peaks of pride that we stand on and refuse to admit we’re wrong. It takes the depressed areas of our life and lifts them up. It takes the crooked places and straightens them out. And it makes the rough places plain. Then, there is God! God comes to us so that we can come to God.
Our hope is in the promise of God; in our God of the Promise. It is a promise that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. It is a hope that will not be disappointed because God, although He may delay or tarry, He will not forget His promise. Be assured: God will never let us down!
~by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB
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