Ss Peter & Paul, Kettering
the birth of john the baptist
What then will this child become?
It’s always a great joy to be at the Baptism of a new and full member of the Christian family. When that baptism is of a baby there is an added joy that comes from the wonder of not knowing how that child will grow and be as a member of the family of faith
Dominic, John and I have just come from St. Michael’s where we have been involved with the first Baptism in the new lay-out…Little Catherine, or Katy as she’s known, was there looking lovely. Her proud parents and brother were looking on with great joy.
Knowing Catherine’s family she will have a great start in life – and one that has so much potential. There is indeed so much potential that one can almost touch and grasp when a new child comes onto the scene. Of course, that potential is not always realised. Things can go awry in so many ways; physically, morally, mentally, spiritually, socially. But whilst there is potential there is always hope. Even when things have gone off the rails in a life, where is always the hope and the potential that things will get themselves right again – as long as the opportunity is there.
For example: Some of you may remember, Jamie, a young man who came to this church for about 3 years – mostly during the weekdays. He was a drug addict, a drunk, and next to homeless, living in a wreck of a flat on
With such encouragement he started to get on the road to recovery. We were able to get him reconciled and reunited with his family and he returned to them earlier this year. He rings me at least once a week. He hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol for about 6 weeks, no drugs for a few months, he’s even stopped smoking – although that’s only for a week so far – and he starts his first proper job ever on Monday morning.
It’s been a long recovery process – and it’s not over yet – but we all have high hopes. He has so much potential. And, apart from that fact that he wanted to say a big thank you to all here who encouraged him, my reason for saying all this here and now is to remind us all of the potential that lies deep within a person – even those who may not seem so able.
We don’t know where Jamie will end up – I know what he wants to do, but whether he will become a lorry driver is up to him.
I wonder what thoughts of potential were going through the minds of the family and friends of Elizabeth’s little baby boy as she took him to the temple to be circumcised and named all those years ago – as we heard in the gospel. They were going to call him Zechariah after his father, probably setting his potential as being somewhere amidst the normal run of life in their town. Alright, his father had lost his voice about the time of the baby’s conception; he had indicated that it had something to do with not believing an angel or something, however, all seemed well.
But then at the naming, first his mother and then his father indicated that something wasn’t going to plan. He called for his writing-tablet and wrote ‘His name is John’. That threw them all into a spin.
What was this? A name that was different, unexpected, full of uncertainty: a name that freed the child from the limits of the past, the limits of others expectations and opened up the whole potential of something different. As it says: ‘And all of them were amazed.’ – And I’m not surprised, for at that moment Zechariah’s tongue was freed and he was able to speak clearly and freely – and was praising God.
‘What’s all this?’ – I can almost hear them cry out - We’re told that fear came over all their neighbours. Things that are different are a little upsetting when you don’t know where it will all end up – even if it’s all for the good.
‘What then will this child become?’ they asked in their little gossip circles and in the market place. This boy was supposed to be a Zechariah – after his father – but now he’s called John, and even his father has broken his silence and is praising God.
As we know, God was right in the centre of all this. It was an angel of God, Gabriel, that had silenced Zechariah for not believing that
Like all new-born’s, John had great potential, but his potential lay in a very unexpected direction. As Luke tells us earlier in chapter 1 of his gospel, many would rejoice at his birth for he would be great in the sight of the Lord; he would be filled with the Holy Spirit, turning many of the people of Israel back to their God, turning the hearts of parents towards their children , turning the disobedient towards the wisdom of the righteous, and to make ready a people to meet with the Christ of God, to prepare them for their Lord.
The birth of John the baptiser sees a great corner piece in the whole jig-saw picture of the Gospel of Christ. It is a piece upon whilst many other pieces were to be built. It was his role to fulfil his potential to the glory of God and for the furtherance of the
As we celebrate this Eucharist here today, let us be thankful for the great witness that John gave in the fulfilment of his potential so that the way was laid out in preparation for the coming of the Christ of God. And, with his example in our minds, let us always look to the potential in each of those around us as well as our own potential to be about God’s work and witness in the fulfilment of our lives.
Robert Hill, June 24th, 2007
Office Address:
The Rectory
Church Walk
Kettering
NN16 0DJ