Highways for God

John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, was an unusual character, an eccentric who from his earliest years lived in the wilderness—what we would call "a drop-out" from normal society. He is the prophet standing as a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament: with his long hair, flashing eyes, rough camel hair coat and diet of locust and wild honey. Once he began to preach, the crowds flocked to hear him and were so fascinated by his message that many mistook him for the Messiah. He was fearless in denouncing evil and a thorn in the flesh of those who did not want to face the truth in their lives. His popularity with the people prevented King Herod from putting him to death when he condemned his adulterous marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife. Instead he had him arrested and chained up in a dark prison. For those in search of God, John’s greatest desire was to point them towards Jesus, the Lamb of God and the true Messiah. He points out to the truth, lives for the truth, dies for the truth. He was very clear in fulfilling his role of being a voice crying in the wilderness preparing a way for the Lord, and making straight his paths. His whole life was absorbed in being a fearless speaker for God and a supporting character to Jesus.

From John the Baptist we learn humility. "I must decrease, He (Jesus) must increase." We grow more by subtraction than by addition. So our growth is not a matter of accumulating more and better information, but a matter of letting go of our ego and "decreasing." Growth, paradoxically, in spiritual terms is not about increasing, but about decreasing. It is about decreasing our fears, and also our attachment to self-image. Spirituality thus is about unlearning and unburdening, than about gathering knowledge. In other words, human development is primarily about being more, not having more. John the Baptist knew who he was, and who he wasn't. We have no real access to who we really are except in God. Only when we surrender ourselves to God, can we find our true selves.

Along with John the Baptist we are called to build highways for God. Also remove whatever blocks this journey. But the project starts with an inner journey: the discovery of our true selves, which are hidden in God.