It's not easy being a herald! It's tiring, often lonely, can take you to some really desperate places–physically, mentally and spiritually–and when things don't go so well it can be really depressing.
All of which must have been true for John the Baptist, depicted here in the wilderness by Geertens tot Sint Jans, painted around 1490.
Ok, he was the 'greatest born of woman', but he was still like you and me. Let's face it, a diet of locusts and honey doesn't exactly sound like it's going to nourish the body, mind or the soul particularly well. Five a day?!
In this tender portrait we see another side to the Baptist. It shows him sitting quietly in the valley of the Jordan, having a moment to himself. This man is not depressed, he is meditating (the painting is referred to as the meditation of J the B). He rests his head in his hand, not through desperation, but rather in a gesture of contemplation. Joseph, the husband of Mary, is often depicted in a similar pose, although asleep, when he is communicating with God through the angel. Here John takes time out to communicate with God about the dangerous and lonely mission of preparing a way for the Lord. He shuffles his bare feet, a sign of a troubled mind. I think it's a gesture of humility, of not being sure, but nevertheless journeying on. His camel hair coat, a wonderfully rich chocolate brown, is covered by a cloak of the most exquisite blue. The colour of royalty indicates his position in the hierarchy of sainthood, but also that he is enfolded in the majesty, not of himself, but rather of the Lord of Lord's.
And what of the wilderness? It doesn't look very wild, rather more like the English park landscapes of Capability Brown. Where the Baptist's feet rest is the dry bed of a river which, when the Saviour comes, will be flooded with the love and mercy of God. The birds of the air accompany him. The magpie, a symbol of sorrow is present and the lamb, the Agnus Dei rests behind him. This mission is not about John, but Jesus.
In the end perhaps he is simply waiting. His job of proclamation and preparation complete he sits and patiently awaits the arrival of the Lamb of God, the Beloved who will be baptised and change the world for ever. In our 'go and get it' world the biblical notion of pondering is something which is often overlooked or misunderstood.
Let's pray that when our work is done, or even when we are half way through, we will take the time to sit in the Lord's presence and await his coming. And let's pray for those who preach the Gospel and prepare a way for the Lord, that they may be comforted, encouraged and consoled by the inspiration of John the Baptist.
Thankyou jonathan! Interesting to see John who was 'not fit to untie the sandals on Christ's feet', barefoot. His mission of preparing the way, must have been a hugely daunting task and to baptise with water in the foreknowledge that one would soon come with the power to baptise with fire and the Holy Spirit - to play second fiddle, so to speak, would surely have led to moments of hesitation and uncertainty? I guess as we all often have cause to do, he is perhaps pondering his place in the bigger picture.
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