Second Sunday in Advent 2007

Forgiveness.

That's what I mentioned yesterday - and that's what church was about this morning. Or, more to the point it was about John the Baptist railing against those "brood of vipers" who came out to the desert to see him. Talk about unforgiving. This is what is often seen as that "Old Testament"-type religion in contrast to what Jesus was bringing with his "New Testament"- type religion of grace.

Our challenge, I am afraid, is that we too often are on the side of John and tend to let Jesus stand by the side of the river. John calls and screams and pushes the buttons of all those who stand and gawk at a camel-hair wearing, locust eating radical. But who is the real radical? Who is the one who truly turns the world upside down?

It isn't in the loud and noticeable celebrity that the hard work happens. It is in the quiet radical who lives differently. It is in the model of Jesus who just does his thing until the time is ready- and then he forgives.

I know, I remember that he cleansed the Temple and called the religious leaders a pack of thieving hypocrites. But that was in that great and final act when all was ready to turn it all upside down for one last time. When forgiveness was about to overcome even death itself. Only when he was ready for his final act of revolution did he challenge head-on the powers that be.

With John- and the coming Christmas birth- we see the beginnings of the overturning revolution that the world had no idea was coming. I wonder when we who call ourselves by His Name will remember that?