Prepare the Way!

“In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”” (Matthew 3:1-2)

Yes, the department stores started prepping us for Christmas the moment Halloween ended, with tinsel suddenly replacing cobwebs and inflatable snowmen mysteriously sprouting on sun-scorched lawns. Even so, for me, the Christmas season hasn’t truly arrived until that loud and offensive, camel-haired, locust-eating prophet storms onto the center stage—John the Baptist—calling us not to merriment but repentance

In days long past, I would publish a “John the Baptist Christmas Card” for the congregation each year at this time. On the front: John, knee-deep in the river, with the text reading, “Season’s Greetings in the words of John the Baptist.” Inside, John’s signature form of Christmas cheer: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance… Merry Christmas.”

I still remember one dear older woman, clutching one of my cards and saying to me after the service, “I know exactly who I’ll give this to.” I think she missed the point, but, more recently, I’ve been wondering whether I missed the point too with John, as I’m coming to see him as a lot more than a dour and sober counterpart to Santa.

John’s first words echo Jesus’ own: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” To us, that may sound like a call to private piety. To John’s contemporaries, though, it meant something far more explosive: the end of the Roman occupation.

If you’re reading this from Gaza or the West Bank, you understand why no preacher can speak of salvation without including freedom from foreign oppression. The parallels between the first-century Roman Occupation of Israel and the current Israeli Occupation of Palestine are indeed many and terrible. Then as now, though, salvation always includes liberation, and as Biblical scholar Tom Wright has pointed out, by John the Baptist’s time, even terms like “forgiveness of sins” had become shorthand for ‘the end of the occupation’.

And where does John begin his movement? At the Jordan River—the very place where Joshua had crossed with the people of Israel to lay claim to the Promised Land some 1,400 years earlier. John’s baptism wasn’t just a sacrament of personal cleansing as it is for us some 2,000+ years later. It was a symbolic re-crossing, a retaking of the land with a purified people. It was Exodus all over again!

Why didn’t Rome shut John down? That’s my question here. Herod did shut him down, of course, for personal reasons, but Rome seemed to let him be. Perhaps they dismissed him as a religious nut. Perhaps they trusted Herod to keep order, or perhaps John’s message was more subtle. In Luke’s Gospel we’re told that soldiers and tax collectors came to John, and instead of condemning them as collaborators, he told them to live justly within the system. This kingdom John spoke of was evidently something more than just an Israel free of Romans. Indeed, it didn’t seem to be exclusively about Israel!

“Don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.” (Matthew 3:9)

John sees that God is starting something new, and John seems to be assembling an army of the chosen by the Jordan river. Like Gideon of old, he whittles down the size of that army to include only the faithful. Even so, they don’t seem to be preparing for a battle with Rome—not at this stage, anyway. John’s focus is on separating the faithful and preparing them to meet their new leader—the one who was coming, whose sandals he was not worthy to carry (Matthew 3:11)

I don’t pretend to fully understand John, but I love him. At a superficial level, yes, he is the perfect counterpart to the red plush elf who takes centre stage each year at this time, chortling jolly slogans and distributing presents to children who already have more than they know what to do with.

John doesn’t have many people on his ‘nice’ list. He’s gruff and prickly, and he’ll sooner dunk you under the water than sit you on his knee and listen to your wish list. Even so, what John promises us this Christmas is far more significant than anything you’ll find in Santa’s sack. John promises an Israel without the Roman occupation and a Palestine without the Israeli occupation. Moreover, it’s not only a promise of political liberation. The Kingdom John speaks of is something even more comprehensive and life-giving, so …
“Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.” (Matthew 3:3)

Our Sunday Eucharist

We celebrated a very special Sunday Eucharist last weekend, and I think it was the first time we’ve had a majority-female panel for our Bible Banter! Special thanks to Helen Rainger and Diane Bates.

There was lots of lively interaction with Diane, Helen, and our online community, and I think we benefited greatly from the input of our virtual brother, AI Saint Paul. The video of our Gospel banter (at the end of this newsletter) has been edited down to 10 minutes in length, and I think you’ll find AI Paul really dominates the discussion, and this despite the fact that it was me who edited the video and not him (it)!

You have two of the most popular shorts from last week are below. See more on the Sunday Eucharist Instagram page, or watch all our broadcasts in full on YouTube.

This coming Sunday is the first Sunday of the month, which means we’re scheduled to have everyone’s favourite dynamic duo back with me on the panel:Tom Toby and David Baldwin. I am very hopeful that they’ll both be with us, though I confess that I have not been able to contact Tom at all during this week. This is not uncommon. Tom often goes dark for a while and then pops up in Iraq. I remain full of hope that he will be with us this Sunday.

Invite your friends by referring them to the Facebook Event Page or the Streamyard page and join us at midday on Sunday via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Faithia,  Streamyard or TheSundayEucharist.com.

Let me work your corner

If you’d like to see my work continue, please click here to make a one-off donation. If you can afford a monthly contribution, sign up at Patreon.com and choose either:

Middleweight—$10/month (community mentoring)

• Enrol in the Fighting Fit training program
• Access member-only training videos
• Engage in the members-only forum

Super-Middleweight – $50/month (remote mentoring)

• All of the above +
• One-on-one mentoring via email, phone, or Skype

Heavyweight – $100/month (in-person mentoring)

• All of the above +
• Training with Father Dave’s Old School Boxing Academy

Superheavyweight – $200/month (intensive in-person mentoring)

• All of the above +
• One weekend per month at Binacrombi Bush Camp.

Every dollar helps keep the wheels turning—the websites, the newsletters, the broadcasts, the boxing club, and the bush camp. Sign up at Patreon.com.

What’s On?

• Sunday, December 7th – Our Eucharist from noon @thesundayeucharist.com, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Faithia or Streamyard
• Tuesday, December 9th – Boxing at the Mundine Gym in Redfern from 7 pm
• Thursday, December 11th – Online Bible study group meeting from noon @ www.thesundayeucharist.com/bible
• Thursday, December 11th – Boxing at the Mundine Gym in Redfern from 7 pm
• Saturday, December 13th – Father Dave defends his NSW Light-Heavyweight title at Cowra Showground. Gates open at 5 pm. Fights start at 6 pm.

It’s been another tough week for me as I try to prepare for my fight next Saturday (December 13). I’m grateful for the chance to defend my NSW Light-Heavyweight title, though I recognise that every fight I take now could be my last.

I like to think that I still have my best fights left in me, and I do believe I could still raise some serious funds if properly managed. Even so, if I get injured in the ring, the authorities won’t renew my licence. I’m already the oldest professional that this country has allowed to box.

I’ve included the details of the fight in the calendar above though I don’t expect many (if any) of you to drive all that way to support me. Cowra is remote, but it is a beautiful country town, and I’ve found the people there to be warm and hospitable.

I also had the opportunity last Wednesday to attend a dinner in Sydney’s west, celebrating the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The event was full of politicians, which, in itself, was an encouraging sign. Gone are the days, it seems, when mainstream politicians feared being too closely associated with the Palestinian cause. While the situation on the ground remains terrible, support for Palestine is now mainstream.

I took the opportunity at that gathering to talk to numerous politicians about the torture of dear Dr Hassoun of Syria. Indeed, I’ve approached multiple senators and parliamentary representatives over this last week. All have seemed interested. None, thus far, have responded. Continue to pray with me, please. We must not give up.

And so … the fight continues.

I rise each morning and shadowbox quietly in the space between my bed and my wardrobe. This then leads me to prayer, which, for me, is the heart of the battle. From that point forward, the fight gets more physical.

Keep fighting, sisters and brothers. I know that’s an odd thing to say when this week we celebrate the Sunday of Peace. Even so, ours is a peace that lies on the other side of this great battle. Peace will come, but not until the final bell has tolled.

Your brother in the Good Fight,