Wednesday, December 12, 2007

The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
“Prepare the Way of the Lord, make his path straight.”
Matthew 3: 3

Enter John the Baptist, fulfilling words from Isaiah. I cannot read “prepare ye the way of the Lord” without hearing the opening song from Godspell.  The shofar sounds to announce the coming of the Messiah, John the Baptist enters singing, and this delightful musical begins.  Jesus then appears.  He is baptized by John and emerges from the Jordan singing, “When wilt thou save the people, O God of mercy, when?”

Most people aren’t aware that the words to most of the songs in Godspell are right out of the Episcopal Hymnal (1940).  “When wilt thou save the people” was written in 1832 by an English political agitator, Ebenezer Elliot to protest the high tariffs and disenfranchisement of the poor.  He was tired of having to sing “God Save the King,” when the poor were so oppressed.  In this hymn Elliot asked God about the common people who need to be saved from the king, their ruler. “When wilt thou save the people?”

 The question appropriately underlies the scene when John the Baptist hails Jesus as the Messiah.  John is described by Matthew as dressed in camel’s hair and leather and eating locusts and wild honey.  He is therefore a favorite subject for artists.  In 1993 while I was in Bratislava as part of a study trip to Eastern Europe. I was looking for something to remind me of this experience, and I picked out an icon of John the Baptist.  Later I heard that some of our Slovakian hosts had observed me while I was selecting that particular icon, and that they greatly approved my choice.  In the placement of icons in the Eastern Church, John the Baptist is on one side of Jesus.  (The Virgin Mary is on the other.)  With unkempt hair and bare feet, the wildly clothed John points, as if to say, “Here is the Messiah. Repent, for God’s reign has come near.”

John the Baptist inhabits our Advent Lectionary readings.  But he does not appear in the commercial decorations which adorn our stores during the season of Advent. Evidently there is not much of a market for camel’s hair and leather, or locusts and wild honey.  It’s hard to talk about the reign of God’s justice in these days before Christmas. Like John the Baptist, we would have to call out, “Repent!”

For those of you who are seeking God’s righteousness and who are heeding the concern for world peace and economic justice, I would change one letter in the word “repent.” I would say, in addition, “repeat.”  Keep it up!  Keep up the peace marches, the food pantries, the homeless shelters, the hospital calls, the prison visits, and whatever else you are doing in the spirit of the Christ for our brothers and sisters in need.  Yes, keep it up.  The Reign of God is near at hand.  Live it!  Prepare the way of the Lord!