ST. John the Baptist

(If we are not in God's grace, may He put us there. If we are in God's grace, may He keep us there. Amen.)


Happy Summer Solstice! 


All of our ancestors were hunters and gatherers in the most ancient of days. In order to survive, they kept very careful track of the smallest signs of the shifting Seasons, so they would be able to track the migrations of birds, deer and other animals vital to survival. So they would know when to plant and when to reap crops vital to survival. All around the world, in every race, creed and culture the Summer and Winter Solstice were recognized in one form or another, as being the Light part of the year and the Dark part of the year, respectively. And Christianity is no exception.


Today, on Summer Solstice, we celebrate the birth of John the Baptizer, who looked on Jesus and said; "He must increase and I must decrease." Here, John represents darkeness and Jesus represents light. We are entering the dark part of the year, where the sun shines on our earth a little less each day. Come Winter Solstice, we will celebrate the birth of Jesus, the light of the world, just as the sun returns and the days become longer. So, we see; John the Baptizer rules the dark part of the year and Jesus rules the light part of the year.


Tonight, our Scripture said; 
"What shall I cry? 
All people are like grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall
but the Word of God endures forever."
Here we may see John and Jesus polarized again. John is mortal, the grass. Jesus is the Word of God that endures forever, the Author of Eternal Life.


We see these two men polarized over and over again; 
John wears coarse camel hair.
Jesus wears a fine tunic, a rich tunic that the Romans admire so much that they will not tear it but choose to gamble for it instead.
John is often seen as a lone hermit living in the desert, a Voice crying in the Wilderness.
Jesus is always in the city, surrounded by the madding crowd. Crowds so great that a paralyzed man's desperate friends were forced to tear apart a roof in order to by-pass the crowds to obtain healing for their friend.


It's hard to imagine two more different men. Yet, for all their differences, they are not opposites, they are not in opposition. Rather, they are more like complementary polarities, like the right and left hand working together, or the two sides of the same coin.


In tonight's Gospel, we hear that the neighbors and relatives were shocked to hear Elizabeth say; "His name is John." They said; "you don't have any relative by that name." What's going on here? What's going on here is that God is not continuing on with the "same-old, same-old, different day". God is doing something NEW, so He is symbolizing the NEW inbreaking power of his forgiveness and grace by demanding that this baby have a NEW name. And the name "John" means; "God's gift of mercy and grace." ... We see the exact same thing happen with Jesus. He is not named after Joseph. He, too, is given a NEW name. A name that means; "rescuer of his people."


And if you look, too, both Jesus and John preached the same Gospel. "Repent! Be baptized! The Kingdom of Heaven is near. Share your food, share your clothing, do not steal, do not lie, etc. Why? Because they both know, Jesus and John both know we are not necessarily punished for our sins but by our sins. One way to overcome sin and usher in the Reign and Love of God is through forgiveness. Forgiveness covers a multitude of sin. But an even better and more effective way to overcome sin and build the Kingdom of God is to inspire people to stop hurting one another and teach them how to relieve suffering, how to love.


I find tonight's lesson from Isaiah to be especially touching - even dear to my heart, when seen through the examples of John and Jesus.


"Comfort, comfort my people! says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Proclaim to her that her service has been completed, that her sin is paid for."


And tonight, we see that God sent one man into the desert to speak His message of justice, liberation, love and healing. God sent the other man into the cities to speak that same message. God sent one man to the mountain to proclaim it, and sent the other man into the depths of Herod's dungeons to speak light into the darkness. Two very different men, going to very different places, proclaiming the boundless love of God. And God made sure then, just as He makes sure now; no matter who you are, no matter where you are, no matter if you are rich or poor, gay or straight. Regardless of your gender, race or language... You cannot hide, you will not be over-looked, you will not be left out or forgotten. God is sending someone to you, to EVERYONE to say; 
"I love you and I will heal you and I will never abandon you. Love one another, heal one another. Do not abandon one another. Do not be afraid!".


Amen. +