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JOHN
THE BAPTIST APPEARED!
It
is said that some people cause a lot of joy when they appear while others cause
a lot of joy when they disappear! John the Baptist is among those who bring a
lot of joy when they appear. And today’s readings explain exactly why this
strange looking man brought so much joy wherever he went.
In
our first reading, the prophet Isaiah cries out: “Go up on a high mountain,
joyful messenger to Zion. Say to the towns of Judah: ‘Here is your God.’”
John is that joyful messenger bringing good news to Zion. Or again, in the words
of St. Peter in the second reading, John comes to announce the incredible news
that the long awaited new heaven and new earth is in the making. John’s
mission is to prepare the people of Israel for the day of salvation which is to
dawn in the coming of Christ. He knows he is not the Messiah and so he can say:
“Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not
fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals.” And yet, John knows that
he has an important mission, to prepare a way for his master.
In
Zambia, we all know the folly of not preparing before the onset of the rains. If
the fields have not been ploughed beforehand so as to make the soil somewhat
soft, the water from the rain will not sink in, but will simply run over the
ground and be wasted. To fail to
prepare for a coming event is to fail to take advantage of an opportunity. John
the Baptist knew and understood his role in a similar light. His was the task of
preparing people for the coming of the Saviour. This was to be an important
event and people’s hearts needed to be ready.
Now
we can ask: who is going to take up the role of John the Baptist in our nation
today so that an opportunity that has presented itself to us may not be missed?
Who will be that joyful messenger announcing to Zion that “Our God is here”?
Who is bold enough to rise to the occasion and announce to a Zambia that has
struggled in vain for so long to come up with a good constitution, “your time
of confusion and wandering in the wilderness is over”? This responsibility
falls squarely on the shoulders of our leaders. Our Government leaders have a
responsibility of facilitating the process of coming up with a good Constitution
in our country. Our leaders have the responsibility of ensuring that this golden
opportunity that we now have, to come up with a “People’s Constitution,”
does not go begging.
Like
John the Baptist, our leaders have to keep in mind as they work to prepare the
way for a good Constitution that, despite the importance of their role, they are
not the Messiah. The salvation that we are all longing for can only come about
through the person of Christ. Consequently, the mistakes of the past should not
paralyse us from moving on. Mistakes have been made in the past and as we learn
from these experiences, we thank God because we are all the wiser for it. This
admission of our own limitations should teach all of us to be humble even as we
argue our different positions.
Another
notable characteristic of John the Baptist was that he knew where his loyalties
lay. He was a man sent by God to a specific people.
As a messenger of God, he had to be faithful to Him by serving the people
that flocked to hear him preach and be baptised by him. It was possible for him
to stop preaching to the people, to stop baptizing them and be part of the
religious elite of his time. John could have had a much easier life if he had
aligned himself with the powerful, the mighty of his time. Who knows, the story
of his life would not have ended with his head on a plate!
What
a striking lesson for all those in leadership during this critical time in the
history of our Constitution making efforts! Following in the footsteps of the
John the Baptist, may all our leaders seek to be faithful to the God who speaks
to them in various ways -- prominent among which is their own personal
conscience. May they seek to be
faithful to the people they are sent to serve instead of aligning themselves
with the mighty in their various political parties. Yes, we pray that, like
John, they will help us as a nation to prepare our hearts and minds to cooperate
with the graces of this moment. In this way, like John the Baptist, our leaders
will cause a lot of joy when they appear and not when they disappear!
Questions
for reflection and sharing in Small Christian Communities
- In my leadership position – in the family, small
Christian community, parish, ward, or constituency -- how can I play my role
in preparing a way for the Lord?
- Can you think of a time in your life when you had to
go against the will of a friend or relative in order to obey your
conscience? What was the result?
- Is our presence a source of joy and hope for others?
Why?
Sketch
Have
a family that has experienced a serious hunger problem for a long time. As the
rains draw near, the parents ask the children to cooperate and work together
during the rainy season. They organise all the required inputs for the season.
The result of all this good preparation is a bumper harvest and a lot of food
for the family. Joy and happiness dwells in the family.
Community
prayers
- Lord, make us good leaders, so that we can become true servants of
your mission in all our daily activities.
Lord,
hear our prayer! Lord,
graciously hear us!
- Lord,
make us true servants of your
people, so that we become the instruments of development in our country
Zambia. Lord, hear our prayer! Lord,
graciously hear us!
- Lord, make us the light of
the world and the salt of the earth, so that we can bring hope to all the
people we meet. Lord,
hear our prayer! Lord,
graciously hear us!
[Jesuit
Centre for Theological Reflection, P.O. Box 37774, 10101 Lusaka, Zambia]
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