The people of the Judean hill country know enough to realize that this means that God will be summoning him to something special in which, due to their proximity to him, they will almost certainly be caught up” (Gooder, p. 90).
This week’s Advent focus was on John the Baptist, whose circumstances around his birth made it clear that his life would not be ‘the usual,’ but that he was called by God for a special purpose. Gooder draws connections between the birth of John, the birth of Samuel and the birth of Samson to show that it was clear from the beginning that God was up to something with this kid. This caused fear in those around him, Gooder says.
There’s something really compelling about that imagery for me…getting caught up in someone else’s call to follow God. How often has that happened for me? When have I gotten caught up in the call of others, due to my proximity to them?
One example I can easily point to is the Deaconess Community. From my first meeting with a Deaconess, I got caught up in the stories of these women’s adventure of following their calling. I knew that if I stayed in their proximity, I would not be able to stay unchanged by their testimonies, their lives, their faith.
As Lutherans we talk a lot about being called in and through our baptism to lives of discipleship. But I wonder if when we bring a child to baptism we respond like those around John’s birth…do we really anticipate that we may be caught up in this child’s call to follow God…or that due to their proximity to us, they will get caught up in our call? Do we really see the power of setting this child apart and saying, “child, you’ve been marked by the cross of Christ and sealed with the Holy Spirit…forever”? Do we really expect this child to be the one to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom and prepare the way for the incarnated Christ to be more visible in the world? And if we don’t, then what exactly do we think this child is called to through their baptism?
Gooder goes on to say that “part of the adventure of following God is discovering where God will lead us next. Knowing that God has called us tells us nothing about what God has called us to. Even those who are more or less comfortably established in doing something to which they have been called by God cannot be certain that tomorrow, next month, or next year this calling will remain the same” (p. 92).
This is at the heart of my Advent waiting this year. Am I getting caught up in the call of those in my proximity? Are those around me getting caught up in my call to follow God? Where exactly am I being lead to from here? These are all questions swirling in my spirit this season.