A voice in the wilderness: poems of John the Baptist

Like a Jackal
… a voice of one calling in the wilderness…. Mark 1:3

Like a jackal
or a mountain lion,
John cried out
from the wild places.
A survivor, he knew
how to eat off the land,
clothe himself in animal skins,
shelter among the rocks.
He chose isolation
until he knew
his time had come.

Baptism by Fire
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Matthew 3:11

No gentle man, this John.
He names the religious leaders
a den of snakes
and calls out their arrogance.
He warns of a fiery baptism to come.
Repent! he shouts
as they turn and walk away.
His ratings as a preacher
couldn’t be lower.

The Message
After me comes one more powerful…. Mark 1:7

John’s message
was simple, two-fold.
Turn from your sins.
And, It’s not me.
It’s him.
His voice
echoes down the years.

It’s him.
It’s him.
It’s him.

Grace to Step Aside
He must become greater; I must become less. John 3:30

Teach me to step down, my Lord,
to rejoice when I see your Spirit
poured without measure
on other writers, speakers, teachers,
on my children and grandchildren,
on those much younger than me.
Teach me the joy of praying
from the sidelines, “Thy kingdom
come. Thy will be done.”
Let me move with grace into
my changing role.

Even Herod
Herod feared John and protected him. Mark 6:20

Bad press to the contrary,
Herod was drawn to the light
he saw shining through
the rough desert man.
In spite of the harsh
words against his marriage,
Herod liked to listen to John.
He tried to protect
the vulnerable prophet
from those who would silence him.
Yet it was his own foolishness,
haste, and fear of what people would say
that brought on  the mockery
of the head-on-a-platter scene.
Drawn to the light,
now swallowed in darkness,
he had come so close.