There are many exciting and significant figures to whom we are introduced in the Season of Advent. As the season progresses we meet Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth the Shepherds, the Wise Men, Simeon and Anna. On the Second Sunday of Advent, we are introduced to another key player in the events that unfolded around the birth of Jesus: John the Baptist.
We know very little about John. We know he lived in the desert, dressed unusually, and didn't mince words. He got to the point and said what needed to be communicated to his contemporaries.
John would speak with equally straightforward words to us today. His words would zero in on the weaker areas of our lives, where we are enslaved. He would
invite us to growth and freedom.
John heard, experienced and lived God's liberating word in the desert and could share it with others because his life and message were congruent.
In our lives, too, we need people who can speak the truth to us, challenge us, and invite us to grow. It isn't easy, but
we need people who, in love, can zero in on our weaknesses and invite us to growth and change.
Today, we are invited to think of those people in our lives who, like John, speak prophetic words in love to us and, in doing so, challenge us to grow. Can you name someone who has been part of your journey and been the "John" in your life?
Reflections by Gillian Hugo
