These days I feel like one voice crying out into the wilderness. In corners and shadows I hear people whisper “I hear you,” and “I agree.” In the past few weeks I’ve had many pastors tell me how hard it is to be preaching truth in places where some people quietly “agree,” and others loudly disagree. Our faith spaces have become polarized, and the fabric of our community has been torn.
But, I think faith spaces have always been this way, maybe even frayed at the edges. As I read about John the Baptist and how he came out from the wilderness, rugged and counter-cultural with his eclectic palate and groovy threads, I think about how he spoke out against empire and pointed to Christ. I don’t know what went through his head, or what doubts flew, but to me he seems secure and confident, because he knew who Jesus was and knew the world depended on him. Chaos on the outside, calm on the inside.
The fabric of our world may be ripped, but the John the Baptists of the world are the seamstresses, confidently patching us up by pointing to Christ.
Are you a John the Baptist? Be encouraged. Do you know a John the Baptist? Encourage them. And point to Christ.
God who shouts from the wilderness and whispers in the wind, our hearts and minds are full of division and confusion and chaos. We trust that you create out of chaos, calming the storms and loving us through the worst. Guide our hearts and minds and help us to speak truth, even when it is difficult. Amen.
Rev. Katrina Pekich-Bundy
Chaplain, Alma College
Words for Waiting 