A man lives out in the wilderness. He survives on a diet of bugs and honey. He fashions his clothes out of the hair of animals and claims to speak the word of God. By any standards, we might consider this man to be crazy, but this is a description of Saint John the Baptist, one of the more important figures in Christianity.
The Bible says that John had a destiny even from before his birth to make the way for the Messiah. He preached and baptized, speaking out against prominent figures in society, including King Herod. This would eventually be his undoing, as for this he would be captured and later beheaded.
How would a man like this be treated today? Could he escape his fate or would he be destined to repeat it? As a thought experiment, we can imagine how his life would be the same and how it would differ – hopefully learning something about persecution of the faithful and the price of defying power.
It’s not hard to imagine someone hearing of this “crazed” man preaching in the wilderness and bringing some friends to go see the spectacle. No doubt people would record him on their phones and upload the videos online. The posts might even go viral, and eventually catching the attention of those in power, including those about whom John railed against. But would these powerful figures have the same perceived need to kill the saint that King Herod did?
Sermon for a Modern Day
Probably not. While John would be serious about his teachings, it’s hard to imagine society would be as well. Sure, he might get some philosophical traction from a small group, but by in large, his message would be stripped of meaning and his audience would view him through the lens of entertainment. With late night show hosts cracking jokes about him, his message would be lost. There would be no thought given to it; it would be beheaded.
While this is merely a thought-experiment, we know from experience that we are often criticized for our faith. When we get ordained, we don’t become infallible, and this isn’t to encourage you to dismiss these criticisms, indeed some are merited. This is simply to show that no matter the time and the place, we will be challenged on almost anything we do, including our expressions of faith. As we approach the Feast of the Beheading of Saint John, we take this message as both a warning and encouragement. We can assess how our faith is affecting the world, and avoid a symbolic beheading by adjusting our message until it helps ourselves and those around us.
