What is it about the start of a journey that creates in us a tremendous amount of excitement? Is it perhaps the anticipation, or the knowledge of the end, or is it just to get out of our normal routine, or the idea of exploring new places? No matter what there is always some form of anticipation and excitement when we begin a new journey. In the life of a Christ follower that journey begins as it did for Christ with baptism. We are baptised into Christ but Christ was not baptised into Christ he had John's baptism. So what for us is wrong with the baptism of John if it is good enough for Christ?
John baptised on the banks of the Jordan. The reality was probably something like this. Those seeking baptism went out of Israel to the other side and then came to John for baptism as part of their re-entry into Israel. Why do it like this? Well, it was undoubtedly a form of commitment that was being made in that those re-entering into the Promised Land that was Israel, confessed that they had broken the covenant of God and re-dedicated themselves to the journey of the covenant within the life of Israel. Technically, in the way that we think nowadays they had broken promises made (thus sinned) and were recommitting themselves to those same promises. Christ in being baptised re-committed himself to the promises, even though he had not broken his commitment. The commitment was to love God and to live life such that our neighbour was as loved as ourselves. This is a journey of some length as it is a journey of a lifetime.
In baptising into Christ, we are doubling our promise to ensure that in our life we maintain that commitment to God and neighbour. For us we often make this commitment for our children at a young age and ask that they come to make that commitment in confirmation, almost as if they are being baptised twice over. This is not the case however, as the confirmation is but a taking on of vows, which have been taken on our behalf as it is just a confirmation of those vows already taken, not a retaking. If this is the case just as Christ was blameless at the time of his baptism is not the chid blameless? Well, just let us look at the child coming to baptism and at many children today in terms of our promises and in terms of our world as it should be in Christ. The question perhaps to ask is: what is the fundamental of our commitment to Christ? Love God and love our neighbour as ourselves. Christ's summation of the law, which we adhere to as Christians or at least that which we strive to do. What does this imply? In most eyes the implication here is one of selflessness that is modelled in Christ.
So, back to looking at the children of today and the life as a baby, something that is in built in the babies reactions to the world around them. Something that often makes children, if not encouraged to refrain from, difficult and often obnoxious as they grow into adulthood. It can be covered by one word, selfishness. Babies know no better and for them it is an instinct but it is an instinct that baptism encourages parents and godparents to strive to remove as soon as possible in the life of the child. This is not an easy task, which is why the church and those who are Christ followers are asked to pray for and assist those who are baptised on their lifelong journey towards selflessness. This includes the demonstration of God's love to the community in which they live. It is not just the parents, godparents and the church membership that is involved, for we invoke the threefold blessing of the Trinity on the child and thus we ask God's presence to be bestowed on the new child of Christ. There is no descent of the Spirit as with Christ and no chasing out into the wilderness. Well, maybe the latter is an over exaggeration as we are all tossed out into the wilderness of the world and it is only in that crucible were we discover the truth of God's presence, if our support has shown us the way to live life in Christ. This is where we discover that God is real and encouraged by the blessings of a good neighbour along with the prayers of the faithful that we may become more Christ-like.
No comments:
Post a Comment