Test Driving Theology

Grace and peace to you, from God our creator, and from Jesus, our Savior, who calls us to prepare the way for love.

Communication is instantaneous.  Once upon a time, it wasn’t.  People of a certain age:  Do you remember a thing called “long distance?”  Do you remember waiting until after 9pm to make a call, when the phone rates went down?  To be in touch, we’d need to prepare…to plan ahead.  As a student, my phone calls with my parents on Sunday nights would conclude with “I’ll talk to you next Sunday.”  And at the appointed time, I’d be in my dorm…ready…waiting, for the phone to ring.  And if I missed the call, I wouldn’t talk to them until the next week.

Now, we live in a different world.  Communication is instantaneous.  We call, we text, we dm, we tweet, we “What’s App,” we facetime, we snap, we use messenger.  Is this all better?  Maybe.  Probably.  It certainly is more efficient.  The immediacy of communication has transformed how we receive news and interact with each other.

So, the digital world in which we live is a stark contrast to that of John the Baptist, a messenger from an era long past. John stands alone in the wilderness.  He waits for people to come to him.  And then he’s an “in your face” kind of guy. His appearance is rugged, “clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist” symbolizing his raw, unfiltered message to the world. John proclaims the coming of one more powerful than he, and he sets the stage for the arrival of Jesus Christ.

There are two critical aspects of John’s message: First, these messages are not self-centered or about personal gain. John the Baptist, was not concerned with his brand or image; his role was to prepare the way for and to point at someone greater.  To point to Jesus.

Second, John the Baptist was a dreamer. He dreamt of a world where love is not a distant hope but a present reality. He put himself at risk, facing violence and opposition, because he believed in the dream of something greater than himself. This is the essence of dreaming: acknowledging the world’s harsh realities while holding onto the hope of what it can become.

As we gather today around our Advent candles, we remember that through Jesus Christ, we are all called to be messengers. Baptized by the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to carry a message of peace, justice, and love. Preparing the way for peace is not merely a choice but a daily commitment.

As we journey through this season, let us step deeply into our role as dreamers and messengers. Let us prepare the way not just for the coming of Christ but for a world that reflects Christ’s teachings – a world of justice, peace, and love. May we have the courage to stand in our own wilderness, proclaiming with our words, our actions and our very lives that through Jesus’ love, a better world is not only possible, but it is coming.

Thanks be to God!

Amen.