John the Baptist came to tenderize hearts and break them open for Jesus. His ministry was brief, but it was also powerful, effective and necessary. Sometimes I wonder about what he taught, or what people discussed or experienced when they gathered together. Sure, we all know the message was to repent and be baptized, but what really happened beyond those bullet-points that we get from the gospels?
His message touched a nerve and attracted a large following. It stirred people up. It got people talking. It drove people to confess their sins and reconnect with God. Yet, God seemed far-off back then.
People thought they were abandoned, forsaken and forgotten. They were prisoners and slaves in the land they thought God gave to them. They didn’t really know who they were anymore. Their religious leaders weren’t feeding them properly, often using their power and authority as a weapon instead of a tool to shepherd souls to God too.
Times were tough. Folks were just empty- lost, hopeless, listless and in perpetual despair. They were tired. They were done.
Then John came along and cultivated hope. This raggedy, stinky, unpolished, homeless, insect-eating misfit said “hey, look, God is legitimately here, and everything is about to change”, and people actually believed him.
That glimmer of hope- that God is alive, real, and among them kindled faith, and it spread like wildfire. That faith softened hearts, let loose a longing to be with God, and made the love of God present even though Jesus wasn’t revealed yet.
We are fortunate to live at a time when Jesus is revealed to us. Yet, hope can be hard to come by nowadays. Let this advent be a season of hope by allowing God to tenderize the heart so Jesus can dwell comfortably in it and be truly present.
Lk 3:1-6 (Cycle C)
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