My sister Judy made an interesting comment a week or so ago. She's an artist, among many other accomplishments, and she said she always looks for the arts in scripture. Music and art and literature are easy to find, but she was always disappointed that she couldn't find drama.
Then, she said, it dawned on her that the prophets were God's use of drama. She's right. The prophets often acted in attention-grabbing (OK, maybe bizarre) ways that dramatized sin and God's reaction to it, in order to make people think.
I thought of that again today as I read in Mark about John the Baptist. "And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: 'After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.'" (Mark 1:4-8).
Then, she said, it dawned on her that the prophets were God's use of drama. She's right. The prophets often acted in attention-grabbing (OK, maybe bizarre) ways that dramatized sin and God's reaction to it, in order to make people think.
I thought of that again today as I read in Mark about John the Baptist. "And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: 'After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.'" (Mark 1:4-8).
When Mark writes "camel hair," I don't think he means an expensive blazer. It would have been a rough, woven, scratchy garment, and it probably didn't look real great. John may not have been the only guy to wear camel hair, but it seems a safe bet that most of the wealthy religious establishment didn't.
And when John ate locusts and wild honey, that connotes to me a couple of things. First, it was a basic natural diet of proteins and sugars, but simple foods - kind of like Daniel and his friends ate. It makes me think of a pure, wholesome way of eating. Second, a lot of people probably turned their noses up at locusts, even though nutritionists assure us they're great sustenance.
So when I observe John's behavior and wonder about it, here's what I come up with: John acted distinctively different than the culture around him, a counterpoint to the Israelites who had compromised the faith of their religion in favor of forms that let them feel pious while still indulging themselves.
He's there to proclaim the coming Messiah, and he's getting all ready to call them to repentance and obedience. Anyone looking at him would see backing for that message. His life screamed, "All you need are the basics of life; after that you shouldn't concern yourself with the things of this world." It's a great prequel to the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus will say, "Look at the birds and flowers. They want for nothing; can't you trust me to care for you in the same way?" (Greg Standard Paraphrase Version).
That's what art is - it's holding up some aspect of life, or our behavior, in a way that makes us look at it anew. John the Baptist's desert performance was dramatic art.
And when John ate locusts and wild honey, that connotes to me a couple of things. First, it was a basic natural diet of proteins and sugars, but simple foods - kind of like Daniel and his friends ate. It makes me think of a pure, wholesome way of eating. Second, a lot of people probably turned their noses up at locusts, even though nutritionists assure us they're great sustenance.
So when I observe John's behavior and wonder about it, here's what I come up with: John acted distinctively different than the culture around him, a counterpoint to the Israelites who had compromised the faith of their religion in favor of forms that let them feel pious while still indulging themselves.
He's there to proclaim the coming Messiah, and he's getting all ready to call them to repentance and obedience. Anyone looking at him would see backing for that message. His life screamed, "All you need are the basics of life; after that you shouldn't concern yourself with the things of this world." It's a great prequel to the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus will say, "Look at the birds and flowers. They want for nothing; can't you trust me to care for you in the same way?" (Greg Standard Paraphrase Version).
That's what art is - it's holding up some aspect of life, or our behavior, in a way that makes us look at it anew. John the Baptist's desert performance was dramatic art.
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