Changing everything

Baptism of the Lord A 2011
(Isaiah 42: 1-9; Ps 29; Acts 10: 34-43; Mt 3: 13-17)


Light, peace, and love can live in the midst of darkness.

Our Coptic Christian brothers and sisters are in the midst of their festival time. The ancient church of Egypt, for centuries one of the largest and most influential churches, observes the old ways and January 7 is their Christmas. The Egyptian Coptic Christians are used to suffering. After Islamic forces conquered Egypt, the Copts have tried to live alongside Islam. Christians are still 10% of Egypt’s population, but radical Islam has subjected them to increasing violence and pressure. This past New Year’s Eve, a suicide bombing outside of an Egyptian church killed 20 and wounded over 100.

The Copts have every reason to feel bitterness and even despair. Many have fled Egypt. But as a community of Copts here on the SE Side celebrated their Feast of the Nativity, sadness gave way to peace and joy. After the 5-hour Christmas liturgy, one man whose family still lives in Egypt remarked simply, “My God is love. He brings peace and love.”

Light, peace, and love can shine forth from the darkness. That is the great lesson of this feast of the Epiphany.

Today is part of that ancient, beautiful Epiphany cycle. Today we remember one of the many Great Revealing stories of Christ, his Baptism as an adult at the hands of John the Baptist. Today’s feast takes the wonder and joy of God Incarnate, God-as-one-of-us, and puts that wonder on the road. The road is the journey of our own lives and of our own Baptisms. Today we feel again the tickle of renewing water on our heads. Today, no matter what darkness or what struggle we carry, no matter how deeply the shadows have penetrated our hearts and covered our eyes, light and life and wonder burst forth. We stand with John and with Jesus and with the crowds and the sun sparkles off the water, dazzling our eyes, driving away the darkness.

We are surprised by Jesus along with John. Even though we have faith, even though we have walked the ways of the Gospel with differing levels of success, still we are startled to find out how concrete are the promises of God. There standing before us in the flesh is the one promised, God with a name and a face, Jesus the Christ. Like John, we do not know what to say. Jesus is patient and guides us into the simple words and actions that are asked of us. It is John’s hand, said an early preacher, which is sanctified by touching the head bowed before him to be baptized. It is the river which is made holy by the one who walks into it, the river and all creation. It is our lives that are made holy by the One who shares water and light with us today.

And with Jesus we enter the waters of new life, and we are filled with unspeakable joy. We see through his eyes when the heavens open, our hearts lift as the Spirit-Dove circles down to touch his head and ours, we hear with his ears as those words of unspeakable joy are spoken. “This is my son, the beloved, with whom I am well-pleased.”

The ancient church, Matthew’s church, told this tale so that every baptized member of the community would re-live their own baptisms with their Lord. When we approach in faith, and the water is poured, the Spirit descends, and we each hear the words of unspeakable joy, “This is my beloved, with whom I am well-pleased.” This can change everything.

A few years ago a seven year-old boy was baptized and was handed a candle lit from the Paschal candle. His eyes grew wide with wonder as he cried out, “I know that light! I know that light!”

We know that light. We hear that voice. We are swept away again with the news that light can overcome darkness and fear, and that our lives can be a light to the world in Christ. The wise young Coptic man spoke the essence of Epiphany, “Our God is love. He brings peace and love.” From him, that is no cheap and sentimental thought. It is hard-won faith in the face of centuries of persecution. The Christ-light, and the Christ-light shining forth from our lives, is what is real and what is true in a world that often prefers to love its own shadows.