A Baptism of the Lord Sunday Reflection









Artist Ray Bartkus has crafted an extraordinary work of art in the painting reproduced above. He wanted to use Lithuania’s Šešupė River as an integral part of his mural. In the objects in the actual world Bartkus painted upside-down. When one looks at the dark river magic happens. Reflected in its waters, the upside-down figures on the actual objects appear right-side up frolicking in the water (https://mymodernmet.com/ray-bartkus-water-reflective-mural/?fbclid=IwAR2mcsQxZ90OnxqTxfUU1x2h8FwTNWGCdRMguq4EMW91uHLSy1q3XTx-zBg).

Using this creative piece as a springboard I want to offer a reflection for Baptism of the Lord Sunday, January 13, 2019. Everything in the world into which Jesus is born is upside-down. Religion, politics, social life, morality, economics, etc., everything is upside-down. I am reminded of the story of the thief who broke into to a jewelry shop. He did not steal anything, though. Instead he rearranged all the price tags putting expensive tags on cheap jewelry and cheap tags on the good stuff. As the story goes, it took several weeks for store clerks to realize the error costing the store a goodly sum. Such is Jesus’ world.

With his entry into the world, however, and his commission and equipping for ministry in his baptism (the river in our mural) everything is turned right-side up. The world set right is glimpsed in the life and work of this man. John the Baptist announces it in no uncertain terms.

 “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”  “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” Lk.3:16-17).

Whether wheat or chaff this one will do what is right and necessary to set this whacked-out world unwhacked. John does not quite know all the ins and outs of the gracious plan that this one will embody and comes out a bit strong on the judgment side. Not wrong, mind you, just unbalanced due to lack of knowledge. But we have time to watch and see how it all unfolds.

In the waters of baptism, Jesus is launched on his vocation of living right-side up in this upside-down world. It will be a strange and bewildering ride, this vocation of his, but exhilarating all the same. In bits and pieces, glimpses and ah-ha moments the disciples, and us with them, gain insight into this right-side up world Jesus brings. But there’s plenty of missteps and blunders as well.

This right-side up world does not compute in the upside-down world we mistake for reality. But we’ve been hooked on that world for so long it’s hard to keep or eyes on the river or keep from glancing up from the river at it or climbing out of the river to be part of it again.

Oh yes, we been dunked in the river too. Or at least sprinkled with its water. Living wet is now our vocation. Learning to stay wet is our crucible. Jesus has baptized us with his Spirit and fire to energize and purify us. He’s given us a new family to support and encourage us. New gifts and fresh vistas to enable us to dive deep in the waters of baptism to fulfill our vocations.

So we keep on keeping on. The wetter we get the more Jesus’ right-side up way of living seems good and right to us and the less hold the upside-down world has over us. We begin to be those people who the value of things instead of simply their price. We live joyfully even in difficulty and defeat because we know the end of this tale and that it works out well in that end for all of us, even those who at present oppose us and God’s will and way for his world. And we point others to the river when they want to know why we’re the way we are.  

Most important of all, we introduce them to him who welcomed us into river and made us a part of his right-side up world. Amen.

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