2024.11.07
“In the fifteenth year of the rule of the emperor Tiberius—when Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea and Herod was ruler over Galilee, his brother Philip was rule over Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was ruler over Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas—God’s word came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness..” ~ Luke 3:1-2 CEB
Jordan Wilderness
I listened to a podcast by John Ortberg, “What is Not at Stake in the Election” on Tuesday, November 5. It began with the reading from Luke 3:1-2. It begins by setting the context for what is to come. “In the fifteenth year of the rule of the emperor Tiberius—when Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea and Herod was ruler over Galilee, his brother Philip was rule over Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was ruler over Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas”. Something big, perhaps earthshattering, is happening. God’s word didn’t come to any of the political and religious leaders. God’s word came to the little known, rather odd John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
Time and again, God’s word comes to, and works through, obscure people, like Job, Ruth the Moabite, Esther, blind Bartimaeus, unnamed shepherds, Magi, and John.
God’s word acts behind the scenes, through little events and little people that bend the arc of history to God’s end over the long haul. Don’t look for the word of God in the White House, or Congress, or the Supreme Court. Look for God’s word on the lips of a little child, or a stranger, or someone from an entirely different place and culture. God’s word can be observed in nature, including the messages Mother Nature is sending us. God’s word shows up in prisons and hospitals and kind strangers. It is love and justice for all played out on playgrounds, in parking lots, in public squares and private conversations.
Be on the lookout! God shows God’s presence in sunrise and sunset, the things you see only if you slow down, and always in acts of genuine love. When spotted, share your experience with others. If we do that enough the whole world will come to know, in God’s time. ~ Anne
Wayfinding 