by Fletcher Lowe
A key player in our Advent season is John the Baptist. In Luke’s Gospel, after their Baptism, several people come to him asking what, as the Baptized, are we to do: the crowd, some tax collectors, soldiers. John’s answers are specific, connecting their Baptismal faith with their real life. (Luke 3: 10-14)
That same question, as the baptized, is ours: What shall I do? In the parishes where I have served, it has been my privilege to visit members in their workplace – yes, with my clerical collar. The conversation goes: what do you do here? What is the Sunday connection – the Faith connection – with what you do here? For most it is the first time that question has been raised – and often it leads to an aha moment where the worker sees that what he/she is doing is ministry – empowered by Baptism.
So, in the spirit of Advent we need to join those coming from the Baptist’s time and pause to consider: How does my Baptism connect with my daily life. What am I doing in my everyday life to live into my Baptism?