What's with John the Baptist

Why John the Baptist? This is the season of Advent, preparing for the cosmic birthday of Jesus the Christ – shouldn’t we be focusing on him, the serene image of the manger with birthday cake and candle. Shouldn’t we be looking at the lives of starstruck shepherds in their neatly pressed robes, clean-shaven cheeks, and newly shorn sheep with precocious lambs?

But we’re at John the Baptist? Selah

Met with a group from the city this past week. 6 community and city representatives along with 3 clergy types (I was one of them). Topic of conversation revolved around the question: How do we the community of Phoenix, Oregon handle the issue of homelessness and the impact is has on the people who reside there.

Stemmed from a question posed: Where can these people turn when the temperatures dip into the teens at night? Discussion began here, but quickly bounced to the solution be – ‘Let’s start a soup kitchen.’ Okay ?!? let’s go there.

Without going into the blow by blow of who say what to whom – let me just say that there was a preponderance of clergy input that wanted to use whatever we did (okay, soup kitchen once a week) as a ‘come-to-Jesus’ moment. Presuming that the folks living on the streets were not persons of faith, folks who had not ‘accepted JC as their lord and savior {remember, only 7 shopping days left for you to accept JC as your Lord and Savior}. Trying to lift up the relational fact that ‘they’ have just as much to teach ‘us’ about faith and life and the putting of those two together was not ment

The image painted of a faithful person seemed to look like a Norman Rockwell painting; Mom, Dad, Gma, and kids gathered round table, in a nice house, with freshly washed clothes, with 2 cars in garage. Whereas these aspects are blessings from God, I don’t see them as signs of being blessed by God. I think John the Baptist throws a bucket of paint on THAT perception.

J. the Baptist – or rather maybe starting with Elizabeth, we’re shown a VERY different aspect. Though I think Elizabeth, upon hearing (or rather experiencing ) her own blessed news that she’s having a baby, started with that picture coming into focus. She saw her child as God finally shining on her, removing her disgrace, finally taking her shame away and replacing it with blessing.

And then came the visit from Mary – and the acute, sudden awareness (a kick in the gut) that kicked the legs out from beneath the easel of her vision. What came to her mind was that this child was for God’s purpose, was to be the servant of the child growing within her cousin (?). This child she would carry and deliver would not be pride and joy who would care for her in her age – (maybe Elizabeth was the widow who put her .02 into the temple depository), but, rather would live a MUCH different life, and in fact be taken long before his time.

The image of John the Baptist, as one who is the epitome of the faithful – looks so much less like the Norman Rockwell portrait – and more like that of the haggard, frazzled, unkept, unclean folks seen at the freeway offramps, beneath the overpass, residing in downtown doorways. Maybe we should be paying attention to the opportunities brought forth through our interactions with folks from the margins and see them as preparers of the Way for the Lord?

Maybe in understanding John better, we’ll welcome his internal kick as it serves to redirect the blessings God provides through us.