Friday, week one: The proclamation of John (Devotions for Lent from the Gospel of Mark)

John appears in the wilderness dressed like a wild man. He is not wild in the sense of being out of his mind or untouchable, but in the sense of having spent a great amount of time in wild and untamed places. He has been living close to the land, feasting on all the things the land provides.

John certainly knows the struggle to find enough food for each day. He has learned to forage. He knows the edible plants around him, takes his protein from an abundance of flying locust, and has a source for honey. He shelters in local caves, finding respite there from rain and cold, and basks in the sun at river and wadi edge. He is skilled in the tanning of animal hides, and clothes himself in camel skin.

In tune with flower, bee, insect, animal, day, night, season, and terrain, John is a man of the land, a man close to creation, and one who knows how to flourish from the provision of the earth alone.

Our prophets all come from such places, in tune with the wild nature of creation and having spent time close to the earth in solitude. There, without any distraction from the civilized world, they clear their heads and gain perspective. They re-learn the created order: There is God, the Creator; and us, the creation. They suffer no illusion about power or greed.

Then they come to us, clear in heart and soul, with proclamation and action.

John comes proclaiming an examination of conscience and offering baptism for the forgiveness of sin. He calls people to a new way of life, ordered less from civilization and more from the wild. People flock to him, understanding that he knows something they don’t. There is something holy and even right about this wild man.

And then he says, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie his sandal strap.” Don’t come to me, but to him.

Text for the day:

Mark 1:2-8

Things to think about:

What happens in you when you spend time in the wild or thinking about the wild?

What kind of life do you think God is calling you to live? What will it require of you?

Things to do:

Begin the day by remembering your baptism. Take some water, ask God to bless it with the power of the wild and the power of repentance, and mark yourself with the sign of the cross on your forehead, hands, and feet.

God, send One more powerful than a prophet from the wild.