Read Luke 3:1-6
“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar… the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.” vs. 1
While the average person was going about their lives in John’s day the drama of empire, or “the game of thrones,” went on around them. The centre’s of power were occupied by people who would try to make a name for themselves. But the word of God found a young man in the wilderness, a no-body in a no-place, and formed in him a voice that would be heard, a voice that would prepare people to see God’s salvation — Jesus the Christ, a voice that would call people to repentance from sin and point them to God’s forgiveness for sin.
That was God’s call formed in John. God’s word must be embodied. To find our own voice in the midst of empire requires that we know who we are, where we came from, and what matters most. Otherwise we will just go with the flow of empire— power and security seeking domination over others. Oh, Word of God come!
Heavenly Father, grant me courage to sit with you in the wildernesses of my life — the desolate and alone spaces. Form within me clarity about who you are and who I am. May clearness of heart before You, generate clarity of speech before people. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.