Meeting John the Baptist – 2020

To begin with, a little exegetical study, mingled with some understanding of the Greek text (insofar as I am able these Pandemic Days.)

There are four versions of the story of John the Baptist appearing in the wilderness (desert) prior to the coming of Jesus of Nazareth. This year on the Second Sunday of Advent we read and heard the version from The Gospel According to John.¹ [You can read it for yourself at the very end of this Blog.]

The Fourth Gospel, as it is fondly called, understands the role of the Baptizer to precede Jesus and declare his coming into the world. We find the familiar and graphic description of John not in this rather doctrinal passage, but in the other Gospels. The wild hair, rough clothing, strange diet, sturdy staff and loud speech serve to remind us (along with our 1^st Century ancestors) of the similarity to Elijah, the Prophet. In fact, the belief was that the Messiah (Anointed One) would not appear unless Elijah reappeared first. He is questioned by the resident religious experts of Jerusalem who (in this telling of the story) come out of the city to find out exactly who he is and what he is doing.

“Are you the Messiah?”

“No.”o

“Are you Elijah?”

“No.”

“Are you the prophet?”

“No.”

“Then, who are you?”

[He said:]

“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord”!

[Or, in the Greek of the New Testament:]

Ἐγὼ φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, Εὐθύνατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου, (John 1.23a)

If you read Koiné Greek, you will notice in the line above that the verb “to be” is missing. One would expect (especially in the Fourth Gospel with all the recurrences of the “I am” statements) Ἐγὼ ειμι (ego ā-mee). However, one of the things I picked up somewhere in all the years that I have studied and read Koiné Greek is that when the verb seems to be missing in a sentence, it actually is there in force. In other words in its absence it becomes emphasized. Thus perhaps “I am the voice!”

φωνὴ (phone-ā We get words like “phonic” or tele- “phone” from this pretty common Greek word. It means voice.)

βοῶντος (bo-own-toss) It is a present/active/genetive (possessive)/singular participle, from the verb βοάω (bo-ah’-o), a terrific onomatapoetic word meaning “to raise up a cry” “to speak with a high, strong voice.”

ἐρήμῳ (air-ay-mow) “Wilderness, desert, a deserted place.” We get the word “Hermit” from this Greek word.

The Story is telling us that this person (John the Baptist) is in the desert, not in the city, making his voice loud and clear as he proclaims his message.

He is not the “Annointed One”, he is the precursor, the Advance Man of the Circus Good News, he is the one who comes before and tells anyone who will listen that change is coming and that it is a really big significant change!

It’s all there in the phrase “the one who is coming after me.” That is John’s position, his role, his office (if you will): he announces the Future, and the Future is insistant on coming into our present with nothing less than the full impact of the Future of God!

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I first met John the Baptist in Santa Fe a number of years ago. I happened to take the city bus that morning and was headed downtown Santa Fe. I needed to transfer buses and so I made my way to Starbucks™ for a “double espresso”. “You mean doppio!” nearly shouted the Barista. I know when I’m licked. “Of course, doppio”, I responded. Into my hands came the small little paper cup with the delicious brew.

I walked away from Starbucks™ and back to the Place Where All The Buses Meet. And along the way I was accosted by a young man. He was quite tall and wore an outfit reminiscent of a mountain man. He had long hair, carried a staff with feathers attached to the top.

“Hey!” he exclaimed.

“Hey,” I answered.

He shouted, “I bet you think I’m crazy!”

“Well, no,” I answered.

“You don’t think I’m crazy?”

“No, not at all. Are you OK?” I replied.

“Yes, I’m OK. Thanks for asking.”

“You’re welcome,” I said.

“And I’m here to tell you something!”

“What’s that,” I asked.

“Peace! Peace be with you! Everything will be OK!”

“Bless you,” I said. “I believe that too!”

And the fellow walked away.

As he and I were about 15 feet apart, in opposite directions, he suddenly shouted: “Hey!”

“What?” I shouted back.

“I am, you know.”

“You are what?” I shouted.

“I am crazy!”

And then in that moment, I began to smile. Because I knew I had just met John the Baptist. The slightly crazy appearance, the message of peace, the message of hope, the message of “everything will be OK.” Not bad.

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Each and every year, about this time, I come into contact with John the Baptist. I’ve met him in the check-out line at K-Mart (when there was a K-Mart), I’ve seen him in an old theatre near Times Square, one year I met him on the island of Maui. Sometimes he appeared as Jeanne la’Baptiste, the feminine Announcer of Hope. One never knows, which is, of course, the defining attribute of meeting with John the Baptist. He/she just appears.

I began to worry this year as we entered the Pandemic-Time Month of December. I had not encountered the Baptist. He was nowhere to be seen or heard. I kept watching and waiting and hoping (the principle verbs of the season of Advent) to no avail.

Then one afternoon three weeks ago, Beverly and I were walking together on the Santa Fe Plaza. A significant number of people were milling about, all wearing masks, mostly keeping socially distanced, and mostly in no more than the mandated (in New Mexico) five-to-a-group. It was warm, the sun was shinning brightly, the air just crisp enough for almost-Winter in what many call the high desert of Northern New Mexico. The cherished gift of our beautiful city nestled into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains surrounded us as we walked, that in itself a special gift during this Pandemic Time.

In front of the Bandstand there was a young woman, and she was tap-dancing! Next to her was a portable player from which came rhythmic music. Next to the portable player was a square of dance floor. And on that square she danced. Tippy-tippy Tappy-tappy — in time to the music. It was as if she floated on air, heel and toe touching the square effortlessly. She was truly alive. There was no basket near-by for coins and bills in the usual busker style. I realized that she and her dance were pure free abundant gift.

We were captivated, drawn into her magical mystical dance. Warmth, goodness, peace, and hope emanated from her. Tears began to fill my eyes (I almost always get misty when I see tap-dancing).

Nearby, we saw a little girl, perhaps 3 years old, in the middle of a group of parents and friends. She began to smile and dance, her eyes glued to the young woman near the Bandstand. At once, the child’s arms moved about and her feet began to leap up and down as she followed the music and the tapping and the warmth, goodness, peace and hope.

Soon all of us were watching the duet. Smiles broke out behind masks (you can tell by watching the eyes), people began to move a bit, the entire Plaza came to life. Imagine, dancing in the midst of the Pandemic. I looked at the feet of people standing around, toes were tapping in concert with the dancer.

Beverly turned to me. “Is this the Baptist?”

“Yes,” I said. “Jeanne la Baptiste most certainly.”

“And she has a disciple,” continued my wife.

“She does indeed. Many, actually.”

“As it should be.”

“Amen!”

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Gospel According to John

1.6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ 20He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ 21And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ 22Then they said to him, ‘Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ 23He said,

‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,

“Make straight the way of the Lord” ’,

as the prophet Isaiah said.

24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’ 26John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’ 28This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

1 “Year B” of the Three-Year Revised Common Lectionary. (Chapter 1.6-8; 19-28). The omitted verses (9-18) stray from the story of John and into a theological discussion about Jesus, the Light of the World. Interesting in itself, but omitted from this Sunday’s reading so as to keep unity of story-telling. Read the text at the conclusion of this Blog.