The Prophet of Singerly Road
The question arose at our parish Scripture Study this past Monday: Is the Church still a prophet in the world today?
It’s an important question to ponder, especially as we continue our Advent journey of preparation. Are we, like John the Baptist, crying out in the desert of modern society: “Prepare the way of the Lord?”
Responses that were offered were varied, but what struck me most was the initial reaction that came upon many of the faces of those present in Church last week – and the looks that came back my way said: “Not really.”
One Bible study participant, a visitor from another parish, said rather boldly: “Father, the priests don’t talk about the political and social things that are affecting our daily lives. Why aren’t priests speaking from the pulpit about abortion and gay marriage and gender issues and what’s happening in Gaza?”
Another participant suggested this for an answer: “We have certainly become a prophetic church when it comes to environmental issues.”
To which a reply came: “But should that be our Church’s number one concern?”
One dear lady put it this way: “The Church lost her nerve after the abuse scandals and Covid. We have made ourselves irrelevant.”
To which I ask on this second Sunday of Advent: Have we? And if we have, how do we get our voice back again? How do we come out of the desert to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ?
I can’t help but think of John the Baptist – a figure who wasn’t afraid to be both a bridge to the Savior and a thorn in the side of worldly powers. John – the cousin of Jesus who was the caller-out of sin and the one who knew that he, too, was a sinful man in need of redemption. He was zealous for the mission, passionate about the Kingdom, and single-minded in his quest to proclaim the Truth.
And as John, so should our Church be.
We have been, of course, down through the centuries: we have stood firm on the rights of the working class. In Communist countries, the Church has proclaimed true freedom found only in Christ and the practice of faith. We have been firm in our stance on life issues, especially the dignity of the child in the womb and the equal concern for her mother’s care. And we have reminded the world that government-sponsored euthanasia is not compassionate care no matter how they try to spin it.
But like the prophets who also ran from their sacred responsibility, we too have turned our backs on our Godly mission to proclaim Truth, no matter the cost. We have stayed silent in cases of child abuse by clergy. We have not always responded in a timely fashion to the call to desegregate our parishes and schools. We have sometimes ignored the concerns of the laity, forgotten the poor, and focused too much on money and reputation. For these things and others, we will have to answer to God one day.
But – and this is the heart of our Scripture passages today – we must never tire of crying out: Make straight the way of the Lord. Isaiah proclaimed it; John echoed it.