It is interesting that we get this historical dating in time of John the
Baptist. The reigning political and religious figures are all named, but the
Word of God bypasses them all and comes to a crazy, wild-eyed prophet
living far from the centers of power, out in the desert. God has chosen John to
be an instrument, a mouthpiece (literally what the word prophet means), of
hope.
Hope is always rooted in history. This is what Luke seems to be telling
us in establishing this historical context of the arrival of John the Baptist on
the scene. John was a figure of history who oriented the people with whom he
came in contact to a vision of hope. Hope can never be over-emphasized. It
is that virtue, that way of being, that says when everything appears one way—
when reality appears hopeless—it could just be otherwise. In fact, it is a
testimony to otherwise.
When death and destruction seem to be the rule of the day, life and
rebuilding could just be the real realities. Hear the testimony of Baruch again:
“Up, Jerusalem! Stand upon the heights; look to the east and see your children
gathered from the east and the west at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that
they are remembered by God.” When exile and loss appear to rule the day,
the prophet gives a testimony to otherwise: it can be different; in fact it is
different; it is otherwise.
So the beautiful psalm response (126) does the same: “When the Lord
brought back the captives of Zion, we were like men dreaming. Then our
mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing.” What was
once sadness and misery has all of the sudden become laughter and rejoicing.
“Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, they shall
come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves.”
It takes perseverance though. Persevering through the apparent reality
that all is lost and holding fast to the truth that it can be otherwise. (“All will
be well, all will be well, and every manner of thing will be well,” as Dame
Julian of Norwich once said.)
Paul’s powerful letter to the Philippians sheds much light on this. The
apostle states: “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in
you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” God begins the
good work in us, and God continues to complete it.
Our call is that of trusting perseverance, continuing to give testimony to
the otherwise of reality. What appears as loss and hopelessness and grief may
not necessarily be the rule of the day. So whether on an individual level, we
are dealing with loss of a job or fighting at home or death of a loved one, the
call is issued to be a testimony to otherwise, like John the Baptist.
Or on a parish or community level, with all the struggles and pressures
that being in relationship to one another can bring, the call is issued to be a
testimony to otherwise, to persevere in hope that God will bring us back, in the
words of the prophet and the psalm; that the Lord will restore our fortunes;
that though we may sow in tears for some time, we will reap rejoicing soon
and very soon; that though we walk the winding roads and the rough ways of
life, they will be made straight and smooth as we see the salvation of God. Is
it pie-in-the-sky naïveté? No. It is a testimony to otherwise, that all will be
well, and all will be well, and every manner of thing will be well.
This is the message of the Patroness of the Americas, whose feast we
will celebrate in a few days, the message of La Morenita of Guadalupe. The
events on the mount of Tepeyac brought hope, brought the possibility of
something new and different, brought the possibility that God may just be
visiting his people, brought the testimony to otherwise. All will be well, and
all will be well, and every manner of thing will be well!