Many years ago, one night I found myself staying in a remote hotel in Lincolnshire, surrounded by reed beds. It was wintertime and the place was quite eerie; the only sound outside was the music of wind in the reeds and lapping water.
Reading through today’s gospel reading (Luke 7:24:30) I was reminded of that place and of a quick photograph I took on my phone at the time. Reflecting on John the Baptist and his uncompromising message of repentance, Jesus says of the prophet, ‘what did you expect to see, a reed swaying in the wind?’ John was baked in the simple and austere mould. Not for John the finery of wealth but instead, simplicity of living and straightness of talking.
Sometimes we say things that are harsh, or on reflection we consider to be wrong, so we change position. That is not the same thing as being unmovable over important principles and crystal clear in the delivery of key principles.
The reeds that grow on a Lincolnshire riverbank are not the same as the ones that Jesus would have had in mind. Any plant that grows in a hostile environment must be able to withstand that environment. The reed that is deeply rooted may sway in the wind, but the wind will not break it and while Jesus may have been making the point that John was not one to be moved about by fashion or politics, he was well rooted and resilient for all that.
I am writing this just as we hear of increasing threats to global stability. Eastern Europe and the Red Sea are constant sources of concern, and elections in Taiwan that have increased the pressure on relationships with China are alarming.
These are times to be people of principle who know where we stand on important points and to pray with all our hearts to understand what matters, and to put down our roots firmly in God’s Grace so we are unmoved, even if the wind gets up.
A Prayer:
Lord God, I pray that you will so seed my thoughts, that I know where I stand on important points of principle in a seemingly unprincipled world. Give me the courage to avoid the simplistic outcome or the position and take up the one that puts be in clear sight of you and your will for a troubled world.
I thank you for the uncompromising directness of John the Baptist whose simplicity reminds me that there is more to life than fine clothes and luxury.
Amen.