John's Passion

John the Baptist was given a mission when he received his name:  Zechariah, his father, proclaimed:  "You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins." (Lk 1:72)
John devoted his life to this mission; it was his passion.
Today we celebrate his passion in another sense, as in the Passion of Jesus...suffering and death.
He who was to bear witness to the LIGHT was cast into a dark, damp, smelly prison, and he who came to prepare the way for, Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, was beheaded for proclaiming the truth, giving his life for it.
Here again is the mystery of paradox and apparent contradiction that we often see in our own lives.  When things don't go according to our plans, we fret, lose heart and become depressed.  We fail to see that God works in HIS way, not ours, and that what we deem "bad" can actually be for our good; that good can come out of distress, disaster, illness or disappointment.  When we feel like there's been a "mistake" in God's plan, or when we ourselves make "mistakes", may we remember John's passion and mission to reveal Jesus to us, and find our hope renewed in HIM.
Bro. Rene