The Gospel of Luke takes us into the wilderness this week, to the banks of the Jordan River, a holy spot of remembrance and hope for the people of Israel. It was at the Jordan River that God miraculously parted the flooded waters, allowing Joshua to lead God’s people into the Promised Land after 40 years in the desert.
Water is a compelling symbol: a sign of God’s providence as well as a dangerous force of nature. Water gives life and at the same time, has the power to take it. In our spiritual history, water has purged, cleansed, healed, destroyed, saved, and held out the covenant promise of a new beginning. At the very dawn of creation, God’s spirit breathed on the waters of chaos, and in the vision of Revelation, a river flows from God's mighty throne.
Water is part of us, for we are created of both stardust and water. Babies are composed of 78% water. Adult brains and hearts are 73% water and even our bones are watery, at 31%. We are created to be water bearers, literally and spiritually. We are created to walk in the world wet, as living signs of God’s gifts to a thirsty world.
This sign can teach us wisdom and perseverance, for water will always find a way. When faced with barriers, it is the obstacles that become eroded, shaped, shattered, displaced by the force and movement of free-flowing water. Boulders cannot stop it. Vapor barriers fail. Dams spring leaks. Boundaries have no authority. The power of water carved the Grand Canyon--granted it took millennia, but the rocks never stood a chance.
In our tradition, this powerful reality of water is central to our rites and our understanding of salvation history. It is a sign and agent of the grace of baptism, the freedom from sin, the power of God’s liberating action, and the offer of new life. We use water to bless individuals, homes, churches, police and fire equipment, and articles of personal devotion. We plunge the Paschal candle into the font and sprinkle a casket with blessed water before placing the pall, a sign of the white garment of baptism. We wash disciples’ feet on Holy Thursday and mix water with wine before the words of consecration.
And so, we find ourselves this week, standing at the banks of the Jordan River, standing before water, standing before the mystery of Jesus’ baptism where water is used to touch a soul that is both human and divine. This baptism is a wilderness experience, carried out among people gathered to hear the preaching of John the Baptist. In that moment, they experienced an astounding miracle of God, who opened the heavens to get to the Son and through Him, reach God’s people.
This gathering at the Jordan is not private, isolated, or secret. This baptism, like our own, takes place in community, reminding us that baptism brings us into a new social, moral, spiritual and communal dimension. All baptisms are a public statement of belief: the community’s belief, the family’s belief, and ultimately, our own. Baptism is an ongoing miracle that opens heaven, each and every time someone gets wet, whether that baptism occurs on the banks of the Jordan, in the hospital room after a difficult birth, or in the parish around the corner. Each baptism a miracle opening heaven and creating community.
And when Jesus was baptized, he heard these words, “You are my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased” and with that affirmation, he walked into the desert, wet.
He walked into the desert to face temptation and loneliness; to confront evil face-to-face; to reflect on the nature of power and receive comfort from the angels. He walked into that world of the wilderness, wet. And so do we.
The same water, the same words of affirmation are offered to us, too. “You are my water bearers. You are my Beloved Daughters; Beloved Sons. In you, I am well pleased.” With these words, we, too, walk into the world wet, carrying a bit of heaven into whatever wilderness lies before us.
This is a remarkable truth that will transform our lives, if we have the faith to believe it and the courage to grasp it. We are beloved. Heaven has opened for us. God is well pleased! This week reminds us that we are born to be water carriers, dripping wet signs of God’s saving gifts, offered freely to a thirsty world.
Comentarios