This week’s readings celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, and are full of symbols about chaos & salvation. Genesis 1:1-7 speaks of the formless void, “while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” Pre-history peoples of the Desert were fearful of the Ocean, and considered it the Enemy. The story about the conquest of Leviathan, the chaos-monster; Jonah; and Noah, who rode out the Flood in the Ark which God provided are all part of this cosmic confrontation. Note that the Dove was seen as the messenger of salvation.
In Acts 19, we hear of Paul’s meeting with some believers in Ephesus who had received the sign of water-baptism without knowing about the Sacrament of receiving the Holy Spirit. The passages urged the Church to do more than just go through the motions, and delve the full experience of participation as Disciples.
Mark’s gospel story (1:4-11) tells Of Jesus beginning his traveling ministry by being publicly baptized by John the Baptizer. “And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens TORN apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.” This is no Sweet, Sweet Spirit! Receiving the Holy Spirit is earthshaking, heaven-rending and dangerous!
Rising from the water are the elements of God’s Becoming Kingdom. The Church also rises into a working, developing community which is to mirror Jesus in caring for and announcing what God has already accomplished.
God Bless Us, Every One. Horace Brown King
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