Advent, above all, is a time of preparation; a season that challenges us to ready our hearts to celebrate afresh the birth of Jesus and to welcome him more fully into our hearts. That’s the theme of the following meditation, placed into the mouth of John the Baptist, taken from my 2011 book A Most Amazing Man (Year B):
Reading
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”’ John the baptiser appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Mark 1:1–4
The meditation of John the Baptist
You’ve heard of the Romans I suppose?
A decadent lot, to put it mildly –
but I’ll say this for them:
they know how to build roads.
There are dozens everywhere,
even out here in the wilderness,
running straight and true,
mile after mile,
and what a difference they’ve made,
journeys that once took a week now being a matter of days.
Not that Rome cares about us, of course.
They’re thinking only of their armies.
One sniff of trouble,
let alone rebellion,
and they can be down on us now like a ton of bricks,
legions hurried in from across the world.
But you’ve got to admire their foresight –
how they’re prepared, it seems, for anything.
I’m following their example, in a sense,
creating a road of a different sort,
into the wilderness of human lives,
for my task is to prepare the way of the Lord,
to make straight a path for his coming.
He’ll be here soon, you see,
the day almost upon us,
but will you be ready receive him –
ready to hear his voice and meet his gaze,
to answer when he calls?
Oh, you may think so,
but don’t be fooled,
for most of those who’ve come out to me here in the wilderness
aren’t even close.
So take heed,
listen to my words,
and be prepared,
so that, whenever he comes, he may find the road clear,
a highway into your heart.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
prepare a way in our hearts so that you may more fully enter in.
Break down the barriers of doubt and disbelief that keep us from you –
the faults and failings that deny your love and obstruct your purpose.
Fill us with your love,
redeem us by your grace
and renew us by your power.
Make your path straight within us,
so that, consecrated to your service,
we, in turn, may help to prepare your way in the lives of others.
Amen.