Editor's note: This Advent, Iowa Conference Communications invited members of the newly formed Bishop’s Leadership Team to share reflections based upon the themes and scriptures of “Unrelenting Grace,” a book by Bishop Kenneth Carter that is the focus for the conference's Advent study.
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ.
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight,’ ”
so John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
– Mark 1:1-8
We are entering into the second week of Advent season centering on peace. Peace can be defined in various ways such as a state of equanimity, tranquility, or reconciliation as the integrity of God’s creation. It indicates that when everything is placed in a right place or restored in an original position, we may find peace and justice in it because we will be in a right relationship with God and one another. However, as we face our own human existential conditions, peace has been disturbed and hijacked by major crises such as unjustifiable wars or regional conflicts or hate crimes. How can we restore the original state of peace?
John the Baptizer took Isaiah’s vision as his own vision that he himself was called prepare the way of the Lord and make it straight. Fortunately, he didn’t consider himself as a messiah. Instead, he was very clear about his roles and responsibilities: “I am here to prepare the way of the Lord. I am not pretending to be someone like Jesus the Messiah.” Since John has a charismatic leadership, he might be tempted to be rivalry with Jesus. In addition, they both grew up together as cousins, and John has his own community and many followers. If both of them were competitive and jealous to one another, it could be potentially disastrous to various Jewish communities such as the Qumran community that John was belonging to. However, John said that “I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his [Jesus’] sandals. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” He might say, “I am where I am.” In this way John was paving the path to peace.
We are deeply disturbed by the recent Israel and Hamas war, acknowledging that there has been a long standing unjustifiable conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. They are sisters and brothers who live in the same neighborhood. Because of a political rivalry and animosity, however, they are not friendly nor reconciling each other at all. They both try to justify their own respective harmful ways, but we also pay attention to the Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza who have been mistreated through surveillance, check points, illegal land occupations and confiscation. How can they find peace and reconciliation?
What would John the Baptizer think of this human mess in his home country? Perhaps he would say further like this: “The way of the Lord is that everyone has to confess their sins and keep a right relationship with God. Then you will find the path of peace in your heart for your community and the world. So humbly walk with God on this path that Jesus will walk with you. He will bring peace on earth because he is the Prince of Peace.”
Let us be in a right relationship with God. Let us humbly walk with God. Let us recognize others as God’s beloved children. And love them all! At last we will be on a path to peace on earth.
Prayer:
God of peace, even in the midst of human tragedy you are our God of peace. Help us, God, find peace in our world. May we be humble and kind. May we be attentive to your peaceful presence all the time. May we love one another because your unending love through Jesus will bring us peace and justice in our land. Amen.
Rev. Heecheon Jeon
Iowa Conference Photo
The Rev. Dr. Heecheon Jeon is currently serving as Lead Pastor at the First United Methodist Church and Wesley Foundation of Iowa City and Bishop Kennetha’s Leadership Team. HIs passion is to empower young leaders to go deep in faith and go farther throughout the worldwide connection of our Methodism for discipleship and education.