In Search of a Savior: The Kingdom is at Hand By Br. Merrick Moses, OSB

The second Sunday of Advent is a spicy introduction of John the Baptist. John is not at the River Jordan for sunbathing. He is there to warn and bless the people. The religious authorities didn’t really get along with John. The issue: John reminds the People of God that the religious authorities are not their friends. At this point in time, Palestine is under Roman occupation.

There are officials jockeying for position in the Temple and among the Romans. These were the days when life was precarious and fleeting. It was a dog eat dog world in which the poor were numerous and the rich were few…..and haughty.

In the midst of the empire we have John, a herald of the Kingdom which could be at hand at any moment. His biting critique wins him followers, but angers the elite of the time. John’s vitriol toward the Clergy of his time developed from his deep love of the poor and his call by God to bring the People of God back to their Creator. His warning has spanned the ages. We also have our own religious elite here in America. They, too, have burdened the people with false doctrines and abusive behavior. It seems that as more things change, the more they “resemble” the same.

John as herald of the Kingdom is basically a lamp of hope in a land of increasing darkness and subjugation. John is the warning light in the engine of the People of God. His clarion call to repentance is preparation for the advent of the Kingdom. The Kingdom of his calling is not one of brick and mortar but of divine love and community. The Kingdom is within us at every moment. When we enter this most auspicious space through our hearts, we get to meet our

Creator dwelling within. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. John reminds us of who we are and whose we are. Let the Kingdom mindset take hold of our hearts, minds, and souls.