What Should We Do?

Time to do some pruning, some weeding, some separating of the grains which feed and the husks that are useless except to feed the fire. Some chopping down of those who don't produce good fruit. John the Baptist seems very certain that a reckoning is coming. "Oh you nest of poisonous snakes, who warned you to run and hide from the coming storm?" Judgment is coming and coming soon. The time is now, hurry! Act now before it is too late! He's making a list and checking it twice, he's going to find out who's naughty or nice! He will judge all when he comes into the world! John the Baptist (Gift of Good Will) has spent too many days out in the wilderness, eating just locusts and honey probably. He gets everyone cranked up. He gets everyone afraid of who and what is to come. This is it! And then... And then... And then...

The crowd is worked up; they are in a frenzy; John has them right where he wants them. They come in and ask how they can avoid such a fiery fate! "What can we do?" John replies that if they have two coats, give one away, if they have extra food, share it. The tax collectors, those dirty sell-outs collecting money from their neighbors and giving it to the occupiers, they come with fear and trembling. How can they avoid such a fate? John replies for them to collect only what is prescribed by the government, no more. The soldiers, who are probably not Jewish or Palestinian, but from afar, and are there to 'keep the peace' and administer crowd control as needed, also get caught up in the words and proclamation of John the Baptist. They come, forgetting their posts and positions, asking what they can do to avoid such a fate. John replies that they should accept their wages and not use fear or violence while during their jobs. 

Whew!  Oh boy! John, you really had us going for a moment. We thought you were going to say to quit our jobs. We thought you were going to ask us to give everything up and become your disciples. We believed that you were going to ask us to take up arms for our new king. If I have extra, I can share. If I have a position or post that allows me to take advantage of people, I should act compassionately and ethically. I can do that, though my colleagues will wonder what is wrong with me. This isn't bad, I can get on this and be good with it. Baptism of purification, sounds wonderful. 

When I was in Palestine and Israel in 1996, we got to meet Father Elias Chacour, a Palestinian Catholic Priest who is now the Arch-Bishop of the region and a three time Nobel Peace nominee. In a book called "Blood Brothers" he tells of a story early in his ministry in the West Bank in the 1960's. The nation of Israel was now occupying the West Bank and Gaza and often Israel hired Palestinians to be their police and run the basic government functions. There was a great unrest in the community and in his church because those who often were hired began to think themselves better than the others. This caused a lot of resentment, as we can imagine, and it was only further exasperated that greed and corruption were encouraged. So, on a Palm Sunday, Father Elias with his heart in his throat before giving the benediction, when to the back of the sanctuary and locked the doors. He announced, "We are a divided people and Christ calls us to be one, as he and the Father are one. We are not leaving this sanctuary until we come together." Everyone, as you can imagine, was a little confused and anxious. No one knew what to do. Then slowly, one of the police who was a very big man, rose up. Father Elias was sure he was going to be arrested and beaten. Instead, the man started weeping and asking for forgiveness. Others, who have been positions of power also confessed their sins and asked for forgiveness. Soon, neighbors who haven't talked to each other and everyone was hugging each other and there were tears of joy and laughter. Father Elias ran to the chancel and announced, "Why do we have to wait a whole week when resurrection has happened? Let us celebrate Easter!" And they, who just got done with Palm Sunday service, celebrated Easter. Sixty years later, he is still working on bringing peace and justice for all people in Palestine and Israel. 

What should we do in our time, in our day? The first is to share any extra we have with those who are in need. The second is any authority and power we have, let us make sure that we are satisfied with what we are given and not to use greed, fear, or violence to indulge our greed. The third is to foster and work towards community, based upon justice, upon compassion and upon the Golden Rule. And finally, for bodies of faith, to let the prophetic witness ring out. To make you a little nervous I am going to quote Rev. William Barber II,  "Preachers don’t get to stay out of politics. We are either chaplains of empire or prophets of God."