If you read through the lectionary, either as a personal tool or for use in your faith community, then you’re familiar with the experience of having to face a text that may make you uncomfortable. It is challenging and formative to have a passage plopped down in front of you and to have to think, “What am I supposed to do with that?” Resisting the temptation to move on to more familiar and comfortable ground can help guide us toward areas for growth. This was my experience with Luke 3:7-18.

A friend shared a humorous post on social media recently depicting John the Baptist and the words, “Happy Advent, you brood of vipers!” That’s just about the whiplash I feel reading this section of Luke’s Gospel during this time of year. Where does John the Baptist fit among Bing Crosby on the radio, children on a stage, and Charlie Brown memories? As a reminder, this striking greeting is John’s response to the crowds of people coming to be baptized by him in the wilderness. I imagine something this harsh would result in a “hear a pin drop” moment, but the alternative reaction is where the story catches my attention. The scenario does not stall in awkward silence. Instead, the people earnestly ask, “What then should we do?” Additionally, Luke summarizes his story not as a definitive instance of condemnation but, rather, as a proclamation of good news that is moving people forward in new possibilities.

The wilderness has long held symbolic value for Christian communities. It is a place of testing, hurting, searching, wandering, waiting, silence, and prayer. It’s not the place of influence, but it is a place where God has often shown up unexpectedly. Here we find God calling John, son of Zachariah, to offer a unique blend of prophetic ministry and pastoral care. It is as if John is hinting at the potential of the good news for each representative group present. As he does, he gives what I see as an emerging guiding ethic that rings deeply relevant to all Christian communities.

1. To live generously

2. To not grasp beyond what we need

3. To not abuse power and influence

John the Baptist’s message was good news because it went beyond a mere instruction to “do better next time.” Instead, he points to a more sustainable and full way of life that will be made available in the Christ. The one for whom he was preparing the way was coming with the Holy Spirit and fire, but that doesn’t mean he disappears as a witness. I grew up sadly seeing John as a now-irrelevant figure. Subconsciously, I thought that he did his job and now we can move on with the story.

However, what a wonderful opportunity to live in his posture of preparation. Faith communities are invited to explore what the good news looks like in the wilderness. Perhaps a practical place to start is to invest in that guiding ethic that points toward Christ and works toward true reconciliation: to live generously, to not grasp beyond what we need, and to not abuse power and influence. The story of John the Baptist during Advent asks, to me, a simple but profound lingering question: what then will I do?