Reflection for January 2
He said: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” (John 1:23).
I imagine this as such a dramatic scene. John is baptizing people in the river, there must be a crowd that has gathered to hear him speak or are just plain curious about this strange man in camel-hair clothing. The Jewish leaders (who I imagine as well-dressed businessmen of the 1st century variety) are asking John who he is, and he responds by quoting the prophet Isaiah. Not only did he quote this honored prophet but claimed that he, John, is the voice in the desert. That he, John, is the herald for the long-awaited Messiah. Many times we say “if only God would just tell me what to do.” John is that voice telling us what to do.
There is a beautiful song, “Until That Day Comes,” that says it better than I ever could:
There will come a day when God will be our light
and the dark of night will be sent to its grave.
And there will come a time when we will live forever
in a city that will never pass away …
But until that day comes I will go and warn the darkness
that the light of Jesus Christ has overcome.
And until that day comes I will speak to all injustice
that the moment of its ending is sure to come.
(Brandon Collins, Sean Carter, Magen Thurman, Crystal Yates, 2021)
Until that day comes I will be the voice crying out in the desert telling the people to make straight the way of the Lord. I will be the guiding star leading kings and shepherds alike to a humble stable. I will proclaim the good news to the people that He is risen! Who will join me?
Amanda McCaffrey