… the day Jesus
showed up at the Jordan to be baptized by John.
The place was teeming with sinners. --- faulty, sorry guilty human
beings --- who hoped against hope that John could clean them ep and turn their
lives around. If you have ever read the
arrest record in the newspaper then you know the kinds of things most of them
were guilty of – drunk driving, bad checks, petty larceny, assault. Some were notorious sinners, and some where
there for crimes of the heart know only to themselves. But none of them had
illusions of their own innocence. They
had come to be cleaned. They knew they were not clean. Then Jesus showed up and got in line with
them.
Barbara Taylor Brown.
_________________________________________________
If ever there was
a place teeming with humanity,
it is this place
where the masses
gather seeking to step outside
reality for a
brief moment
seeking to be
happy
in the “happiest
place on earth’
rushing on the
busses
magic bands on
their wrists
rushing through
the gates of the kingdom
into the crowd
rushing
rushing
and then standing
standing
standing in line
here they are
all kinds of
people
wide, slim
tall, short
toned, soft
short hair, long
hair, purple hair
smooth, wrinkled
white, tan,
brown, black
every color of
the earth
smiling, grim
soft spoken,
brash
who knows what
they carry inside their souls
as they wait
those parents
grumping at their children
those parents
trying to ignore their children
children dancing,
skipping
talking, shouting
saints and brats
alike
old couples
holding hands
this is truly a motley
crew
and they stand in
line
waiting for “the
experience”
I imagine it was
much the same
there in the
wilderness
as the mesmerizer
John dunked
the masses into
the dirty water of Jordan
some came up
gasping elated
some came up
disappointed
“I waited in line
for this?”
but there mixed
in
no “fast pass” in
hand, Jesus stood
and waited his
turn
ready to share
this human experience
with whomever
showed up
ready for change
I suspect if
Jesus were to arrive today
he might well be
here
standing in line
mixing with the
crowd
because that is
the way the Sacred is when it comes
God does not hang
out in quiet churches
on Sunday
soothed by the
soft/grand tones of an organ
God shows up in
the crowd
and stands in
line
rubbing shoulders
telling stories
and showing us
how live
here
in this place
in the midst of
the masses
the short and
tall
thin and wide
healthy and
unhealthy
happy and sad
saint and sinner
God shows up
And stands in
line
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