Sunday Reflections

In Luke 3: 1-6, we see John the Baptist, the central and essential Prophet preaching and announcing the coming of Jesus Christ. We see that John lived in the desert. It doesn’t take much imagination to see our world as a desert or wilderness. War, poverty, violence, disease, isolation, greed, racism, injustice are all around us, and bombard the airwaves with bleak images.  John lived a life separate from the world. This may seem easy for John because he already lived in the wilderness – away from all the temptations and challenges of living among people. Yet, Luke’s Gospel suggests that our present day “wilderness” is where God provides what we need so we too can join John the Baptist crying out in the wilderness “prepare the way of the Lord”. 

Being separate from the world means we choose not to participate in or be distracted by worldly things or habits. Instead, we decide to fill our life with things that matter to God’s kingdom… preparing for the Lord’s coming into our lives daily, into the Nativity celebration and to our final face to face meeting with our Saviour. We can prepare for the coming of Jesus for our own personal salvation, but also for the benefit of all mankind.

How are we to do this?  It may look very different for each person. The best way to discover how God wants us to live in the world but not be of the world is to do the same thing John did: get into the Word of God which will provide instructions on how to think, live, act and behave spiritually. For one person it might require participation in specific Advent celebrations. For another person it may mean stepping aside from the frantic world of shopping, decorating and nonstop media exposure to experience peace and tranquility, to reflect on the reason for the season. For another it may require one to become more generous and involved with those around who are in poverty, loneliness and despair. Our response to how we prepare for Advent is very unique and personal. 

John was calling upon the Jewish people to repent and seek forgiveness for their sings, but to also completely change the direction of their life. This repentance comes from the Greek word Metanoia, which literally means “a change of mind”. Repentance is the complete turning away from sin and completely returning to God. Metanoia transforms our minds and spirituality, our social awareness, our world vision, and our relationships. It is an ongoing process since we often backslide into bad attitudes, temptations, lazy behaviours or repeated sinful actions. John the Baptist reminds us that our loving God holds amazing possibilities for reconciliation and renewal as we journey through the many stages of our life. God is lovingly and patiently waiting for us.

As we prepare the way for the Lord, all obstacles will be removed or destroyed so all humanity will see the goodness of God. The imagery of the mountains, valleys and crooked roads reflect a very challenging landscape to navigate. 

Think about the low places in life. Perhaps it is self doubt, guilt, shame, poor self-esteem that keeps us trapped in the valleys of our life. Sometimes we live in the valley of loss and grief. It may be regret, fear, alienation, that keep us from being healed and becoming the best person we can be.

Other times our ego is inflated, and we are climbing the mountain before us. Perhaps we feel superior to others or overly confident and independent. Sometimes we may be selfish, proud or feel entitled. We may be attracted to climbing the ladder, to status, wealth, fame, success or power. These may prevent us from humbly seeking the God who loves us. 

Think about the things in our life that are out of sync or off kilter. Perhaps our words and actions do not connect with our values. There may be times when the path is crooked with many potholes or curves before us. 

John the Baptist urges us to examine the landscape of our lives so that we can see where we need to prepare a straight and solid road for the coming of Jesus Christ now and in the future.