Meditation on This Sunday's Gospel

The readings for Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021:

Genesis 1:1-5

Psalm 29

The voice of the LORD is upon the waters. (Ps. 29:3)

Acts 19:1-7

Mark 1:4-11

I write these words after an unprecedented day of violence at the U.S. Capitol.  I thought about abandoning this meditation and writing prayers for the day after a coup attempt.  I thought about writing a more pointedly political post.

But I have always loved the discipline of having a lectionary that gives us readings and asks us to contemplate how God speaks to us through them, rather than having us hunt for readings that will tell us what we want to believe that God is saying or give us meaning.

In that spirit, let us return to the story in Mark, where we see Jesus at the beginning of his ministry.  For years, I've focused on the idea of God's approval in the beginning of the ministry, even before Jesus has done a thing.

Today, I'm thinking about the Jesus of history, the Jesus who had choices to make.  Even before he began, Jesus was at a crossroads.  He could have joined a group of freedom fighters and worked to free the Jewish homeland from Roman rule.  He could have become a mystic and joined his compatriot (cousin in some texts) John in the desert.  Perhaps he could have made his way up a more traditional job ladder and aligned himself with the Jewish religious authorities.

And God would have loved him and been well-pleased.

We, too, stand at a crossroads:  as individuals, as a country, as a planet.  We, too, have choices to make.  God invites us to be part of the inbreaking Kingdom of God, and we have a number of decisions to make.  Do we accept the invitation?  How big a part shall we play?  What unique contribution can we offer?

Like Moses, we might protest and point out our deficiencies.  But God needs us now, not later when we feel more ready.  The history of humanity shows that even flawed humans can create amazing change and make remarkable improvements in the world.

At every turn, God offers us the gifts of grace and love.  The juxtaposition of Epiphany and the Baptism of Christ also gives us an opportunity to see how differently people respond to this gift of grace and love. Herod is so threatened that he slaughters every child in Bethlehem and the surrounding region. John, on the other hand, tells everyone about the coming arrival of Jesus.

How will we respond to God's great gift of love?