It is interesting to think about a person like John the Baptist.
Jesus points out the obvious. John certainly wasn’t someone fashionably dressed or living the life of the kinds of celebrities we see today, yet he was indeed a celebrity of sorts. Crowds came to follow and hear him. So, what drew so many to this man, this man who was shabbily dressed and fearless about his beliefs?
So many times, when we imagine what he would be like, we may look at him as vastly different from ourselves. Do we see him as a wild man in the desert? He didn’t blend in with society. He stood out in so many ways.
Perhaps that was part of his mystique. No one had seen anyone quite like him. He lived out in the desert: fasting, praying, and preaching. He boldly called out sin, even if that made him unpopular and threatened his own life. He was authentic. He did not pretend to be what he was not. He was not afraid to preach the truth. He lived single-heartedly for God and did not allow distractions to detract him from his mission. He realized a great truth – that he was created for important work, and he dedicated himself to that work. His work was to prepare the way for the Lord.
Living a Baptized Life
John helped the people of his day realize that they too were consecrated, set apart for God. He did this by baptizing people. The baptizing John did was not the same as the one we receive, whether as infants or adults in the church. His was a baptism of repentance. He called people to turn away from sin and follow Jesus. (See Acts 19:1-6)
In our Christian baptism, we receive so much more: “Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1213).
Did you catch that part from the Catechism? We are sharers in her (the Church’s) mission! The Church’s mission is to build the Kingdom of God! That is our mission!
Imitating John
Let that sink in for a moment. Here might be some groundbreaking news! We are not that different from John! Like him, we too are called to prepare the way of the Lord, to lead others to repentance, to live fearless lives of prayer and mission.
If we blend in a little too easily with society, we may want to pause and consider if we are living our baptismal call as authentically as we should. Does this make us a bit uncomfortable? Perhaps it should. Think about this for a second. If you are perfectly comfortable, you will not be inclined to move. You can become stagnant sitting there. However, when you are uncomfortable, then you start seeking, moving, and searching. Christ calls us to this active engagement of our hearts. St. Augustine reminds us that this restlessness is part of our human condition. It should not cause us to be downhearted but rather remind us why we live – to seek, to prepare the way, and to draw others (Yes, even crowds of people) to Jesus!
Now in this third week of Advent, let us shake off our little comfortable ways and go in haste to see our king who decided to meet us as a frail baby laid in a manger. He did not call down to us from the heavens. No, he became like us and entered into our lowliness. Let us be willing to be uncomfortable for Christ. Let us reflect on the hero John was! Not a hero because he wore camel’s hair and ate wild locusts, but rather a hero because he lived solely and unashamedly for Christ.
Let us get ready! His birth is near!
