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Nativity of John
the Baptist
June 24, 2007
We want things to fit, to work out, to make sense; especially concerning our individual lives. We want them to have meaning…no I take that back! We need them to have meaning. We want there to be some sort of order, some sort of plan or design behind this crazy world. We can’t stand the thought of things being random, out of our control.
And these feelings aren't just part of people whose lives seem to be in disarray. Even those whose lives seem to be on a very specific path and in a very specific direction have doubts at times. I know I do. My vocation is strong. I'm very happy with my life to a great extent. I have very few worries. And yet, at times I wonder, "What's it all about? Is this where I am supposed to be? Have I made a difference? Is this what God had planned for me? Did I get it right?"
And then I think of all the giants in our faith tradition…Noah, Moses, Joshua, Solomon, David, the Apostles, and all the Saints…and I wonder, "Did their lives make sense to them? Did they know that they had lived their lives according to Go'’s plan? Did it all fit?"
And my gut feeling is no. Not a chance! I think that sometimes, maybe most times, we have a very distorted view of the past, and the people in it. We forget that these people who we hold in the highest regard today, where flesh and blood like you and me. They were not divine. They didn't have all the answers. They struggled with all the same things you and I struggle with. And they certainly had doubts, lots of them.
And yet, we're still talking about them today. And no one more so than the person whose birthday we celebrate this day, John the Baptist, the forerunner and relative of Jesus. The Nativity of John the Baptist is always celebrated on June 24, which means we rarely get to celebrate it on a Sunday. So it's your lucky day!
Of all the people who walked the earth at the time of Jesus, John the Baptist is actually one who we know something about. And what an interesting life it was. His parents were Zechariah and Elizabeth, a kinswoman of the Blessed Mother. They were up in years and Elizabeth was thought to be barren. Of course, God had other ideas. Zechariah, after the announcement from an angel that Elizabeth would bear a son, was struck mute until John's birth, at which time he utters one of the most beautiful canticles in the Bible, one that priests, deacons, religious, and many lay people pray every day of their lives in Morning Prayer, part of the Liturgy of the Hours. You can find it in Luke Chapter 1.
The first time we heard from John was when he leapt in his mother's womb at Mary's greeting upon her visit to Elizabeth. The two women had a bond greater than just blood...they both were blessed with children they never expected. The next time we heard from John he was in the dessert preaching repentance and preparation for the coming of the Lord. And of course he had the tremendous privilege of baptizing Jesus in the Jordan and of recognizing divine favor in Jesus. This faithful man suffered a tragic death, though. Herod had him imprisoned and beheaded for speaking out against Herod’s marriage to his brother's wife…not the kind of end any of us would want or expect.
But in the end, what did John really see come to fruition? After all, Noah saw his life spared after the flood, Moses saw his people freed from bondage in Egypt, Joshua saw the Promised Land, and David saw a unified Israel. But what did John see? Basically nothing! He didn't see the Resurrection. He didn't see the growth of the Church. He didn't even see the Romans leave his country! And yet, none of that stopped him. None of that discouraged him. None of that persuaded him to give up his cause. He just went about trying to do God’s work day after day, month after month, without really knowing how it would all come out.
The earthly John the Baptist never got to see how the story came out, how everything fit together, how everything had a place and purpose in a grand plan. He probably wasn't even sure what his role in it was. He just listened to the voice of God in his mind and heart and acted accordingly, stepping out in faith without knowing where it would lead or how it would come out. John could never have imagined that 2,000 years later we would be sitting here, half a world away, celebrating his birth. Actually, he’d probably be embarrassed! He’d want all the attention on the Lord.
We are privileged in a way that John the Baptist wasn't, because we know how it all turns out. The problem, of course, is that we want to know how it all fits together. And more specifically, we want to know our exact place in all of it. What does God want me to do? Where does he want me to go? In whose lives am I to make a difference? What is my place in God's plan?
I'd like to say that we're going to get answers to those questions, but I don't want to lie. My strong feeling is that most of us, if not all, will go through life unsure of our place in it. Short of the next life, we're not going to see how it's all connected, how God has crafted the story of our lives. We may get glimpses into it from time to time, but we'll never "figure it out". And we're not supposed to. That's not what God wants or expects. He just wants us to be faithful
In many ways, he wants us to be like John the Baptist. John went out into the desert and spoke the truth. He preached a message that attracted some and infuriated others. He didn’t take the easy path through life. Rather, he trusted that God had a plan that would be fulfilled in the person of Jesus. And he just wanted to play his part, even if he wasn’t sure how to go about it.
Let's learn a little bit from John today. If you're not sure what role you are playing in God's great drama that's unfolding, that's okay! If you wonder if you are truly following God's voice, okay! If life seems difficult, confusing, and without a clear direction, that’s okay! And if you wonder how and if it’s all going to make sense, that's okay too! You’re in good company…the company of St. John the Baptist!