On Where to Start

When the rush of Christmas wears off and the realities of the world begin to wear us down again, the Epiphany season of the Church Calendar invites us to revisit the beginning of our faith journey by recalling the significance of baptism.

Regardless of denominational differences regarding baptism practices, the meaning of baptism itself does not substantially chance. The act is a public declaration of a desire to turn from sin and turn towards God. The stage of life during which we were baptized is of less significance than our present understanding of why we gave ourselves up to baptized to begin with and why we go on to baptize others in Jesus’ name.

During the Epiphany season, we should look at the work of John the Baptist to deepen our understanding of baptism and its ongoing relevance throughout our life. Indeed, we discover quickly that though baptism may have been one act, we must be re-baptized spiritually every day. Baptism it turns out is all about repentance and action coinciding together. Daily we fail in our good works, so daily we must seek repentance and strive to do actions of faith that are greater than the day before. Likewise, a daily baptism of repentance without daily good works that follow is vain and pointless.

The Gospel of Luke provides the most text regarding John the Baptist and sheds more light on this point. John preaches a baptism of repentance, however he makes it equally clear that baptism cannot be a quick-fix to find favor with God unless it also includes helping humankind. To those with an abundance of belongings, he says they must relinquish their extraneous items to those without. To those who maneuver money for their own financial gain, he tells them to only keep the bare minimum. And to those who have the upper hand politically, he tells them to stop spinning falsehoods and making threats to increase their own terrestrial power. It is clear that John’s baptism in Luke is one intended to grind us down to our basic human core—so that we see others as the same as us, all children of God. (Luke 3:1-22)

It is into this baptism of John that Jesus shows up and asks to be baptized. This Chirst Child, expected by most to overturn governments and sit on a golden throne, instead chooses a path that has nothing to do with empire conquest or the trappings of fame and wealth. He chooses the path of John to be his path as well. He goes on to lead a faith movement that elevates the humble and marginalized, where what is simply plenty for today is simply enough altogether.

The path of John and Jesus is not easy, yet it is the one that reveals the true Christ follower. We may never be fully able to give up our earthly livelihoods and possessions the way they did, as our faith is sadly too small and the systems of the world too strong. All the more reason then, we must recall our own baptism of repentance daily. We must turn from the selfish wickedness deep in our hearts every morning and strive to live in a humble way that elevates others over ourselves. This is what true Christian discipleship looks like.

Furthermore, while we are on the subject of repentance, we cannot ignore the fact that nations, organizations, and people groups must also seek this noble way of repentance. While a baptism like that of individual Christ followers is not possible, this is where the Church comes in to play. The Church, as a collection of individually baptized followers can and should make prayers of repentance daily, not just for themselves but for the world at large. Anything spun up by humans—countries, companies, churches, race designations, class distinctions—will always have flaws and result in communal, complacent, and corporate sins. If we do not humbly seek repentance for these sins through our collective nature as the Church and its’ people, then we again are not walking in the ways of Jesus, our Lord.

Let us then deeply repent for ourselves and for our world and all the wicked ways of humankind, and let us equally take steps to be mini-christs in our world today. Then, let us do the same tomorrow and the next day, and the next.