The trust that people have placed in many of our public figures, organisations and institutions has been challenged in recent years. People have abused their authority and position. We belong to a Church that is criticised for actions that are at odds with what we claim to stand for. At a minimum, it has been a humbling reminder that we are all human and flawed. At its worst, it has caused us to be suspicious and fearful, and to potentially place our trust in ‘false prophets’ who claim to offer a better way.
This, however, is not a challenge unique to our time. John the Baptist called out injustice, corruption and greed among those who listened to his preaching. We too, though, can also be caught in these traps. Perhaps we say one thing, but do another. Maybe we expect something of others that we don’t expect of ourselves. It might be the case that we have found that holding onto power or material possessions comforts us or boosts our ego.
John’s warning to those who would listen is that the Good News would turn their preconceived notions on their head. Jesus would not come as an authoritarian ruler who would conquer the Romans and establish a new civil regime. Rather, Jesus’ power would lie in not only preaching a Gospel of love, but living it to its most extraordinary, selfless conclusion. Advent gives us time to reflect on our daily lives and to what extent that we, who call ourselves Christian, truly ‘walk the talk’.
Are honesty, integrity, humility and justice hallmarks of my daily living?
Published in our parish bulletin, Carmel, 15 December 2024
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