John the Baptist

John the Baptist is on my mind as I prepare to preach tomorrow. Little wonder: he is an imposing figure in his own day and ours! When I think of him I also think of John Brown, the Abolitionist.

I saw this mural of John Brown on a school trip to the Kansas State Capital Building. Very fire-and-brimstone. Very prophet-like. So much for "seldom is heard / a discouraging word" in the peaceful Midwest!

When I think of John I also think a song that one of my seminary classmates, Drew Bunting, wrote. In the song, the protagonist encounters a cave dwelling crazy-prophet type with such memorable sayings as, "The Lord is my sniper, son, you leave me alone!"

There are many kinds of prophets, and John the Baptist is clearly the ass-kicking kind, and that's clear even without my midrash. I mean, what kind of dude eats locusts and lives in the desert and screams at people about repenting of their sins? Listen to this guy froth:

You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew 3:7b-10)

How can you preach about this guy without getting passionate? He stirs up my blood, for sure! I'm already getting excited about preaching tomorrow!

-t