4 December 2022
Second Sunday of Advent
When meditating on the life of John the Baptist, a thought that comes to mind is how wild he must have at first appeared. I imagine people hearing about his ministry and how they flocked to see him for themselves and to hear what he had to say. I also imagine that when some of them finally encountered him, he was nothing like what they had expected and I often wonder how I personally might have reacted if I had ventured out into the desert to hear him preach. Would I have listened to his message? Would I have been capable of hearing the words that God so desperately wanted me to hear? Would I have been ready to leave everything behind and do whatever necessary to prepare myself to meet the Lord face to face? Or would I have turned and walked away?
John the Baptist reminds us that often, the ways that God manifests Himself to us are not neat or orderly or predictable or planned for. We often don’t see Him coming and it can sometimes be difficult to see Him in others. The crux of the matter, however, is whether we are willing to trust God enough to be open to his will for us in all things. Are we open enough to accept whatever He asks of us, even if it’s not what we expected or originally hoped for? Are our hearts prepared to meet the Lord and to give Him everything we have? If not, what is it that we’re holding back? What are we holding onto? What are we unwilling to surrender? Let us contemplate the ministry of John the Baptist this day and ask God for watchful, open hearts that desire to seek the will of God in all things.