In our Gospel account for the second Sunday of Advent, John the Baptizer is the voice of prophecy in a world where such voices had been silent for nigh on 400 years. It’s hard for us to realize as we read the Old Testament and turn to the New Testament, that there is this lengthy period of time between the prophetic word of the Old Testament and the prophetic voice of John the Baptist. Now, in the Scriptures we hear the echo of John’s voice sounding once again through the voice of modern day prophets.
Jesus’ cousin had a message that people were ready to hear. Is the same true today? The key is when I perceive that voice to reply, “Yes, I believe that the Lord is coming! The Kingdom of heaven is near!” The oppressed Jews looked forward eagerly to the coming Messiah. Many listened to what John had to say. His was a teaching firmly anchored in their religious traditions. John was speaking their language, and they understood what he had to say. The practice of baptism which earned John his nickname “John the Baptizer” was not new to the Jews. It was a frequent practice used to mark atonement for sin and a renewed and purified spirit, to show that one who had been unclean was made ritually clean again.
John was an inspired preacher, one in whom could clearly be seen the power of God. After all, who would live like John out in the wilderness on locust and wild honey? Well, take a look around! Look at the effects of climate change and just plain selfishness! Hundreds, thousands go to bed hungry. They wake up (if they ever got any sleep) hungry and freezing or exhausted from the heat. If we listen with an open heart, we can hear their cries. Do we act on it? Do we take heed, and put flesh on our Corporate Commitment? Or do we apply “band aids” (a stamp and a dollar) while we stuff our monthly allowance in our purses and pockets? Do we remain blind to what surrounds our 39 acres? Are we true to our word that we “respond to the hungers of the people of God.” And pay honor to the slogan “Think global, act local.”
We must take care that we do not become complacent when we hear an overlay of quiet unassuming accounts of today’s inspired, even unaware, leaders. Or we don’t listen to the news because it just may “rattle our cages.” We can’t just admire others’ good deeds or simply shake our heads when we see newscasters talking about how cold it is across the country as they stand there in a cozy warm newsroom smiling in a short-sleeve shirt while the homeless huddle shivering under bridges or cardboard huts.
On the one hand, one can clearly see the power of a giving, and forgiving, heart, influencing our world. But, are you, are we, simply admiring the kindness of folks OUT THERE who are part of a “pay it forward” movement? Are we the recipients only of others’ kindness and generosity? Keep in mind “if we are not part of the solution, we are part of the problem.” What will be our legacy?
~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB
