one more sleep

Matthew chapter three.
In those days (which is to say, the days when miracles happened more blatantly than ever, when God was whispered to walk amongst us) water-wading-body-baptizing John showed up in the wild parts of Judea with a message vibrating forth from his vocal chords and shaking the rocks around him, "Turn around, turn around cause God's Dream is sneaking up on us!"
John's the one that the crazy old sage Isaiah had talked about all those years before, "A voice issuing from the wilderness - 'Clear the road, mark the way, God's coming through!'"
All he wore was his own hairy skin and a few tattered scraps of animal hide. He chomped on bugs for nourishment and drank down honey straight from the comb. People came from the city, people came from the countryside - people came from all over opening up their souls to John and letting him dunk them in the river and hold them there until their lungs screamed for air, until their hearts cried out for new life.
But once, when the teachers and preachers came tip-toeing out into the wild regions trying desperately not to dirty their garments all the while ignoring their own soiled souls, John called them out on the fake lives and complex lies they were living. He said this to them (and, if we're honest, to us all), "Bunch of snakes! Why are you slithering and sniveling out this way? You think running to daddy everytime you're in trouble is going to save you? No - it's time you start owning up to your own crap, it's time you start blossoming with acts of kindness. Your dung heap lives are as good as fire fuel if you don't."
Then he turned to everybody else and let them hear, "I splash you with some water, get you a bit wet - and that's a sure enough sign that you want to live better, but" (and here he whispered, drawing those intent, dust smeared faces all the closer) "one's coming..one's coming who can make you live better. I wouldn't even dare finger his shoe laces. One glance from him and you'll be washed cleaner than clean with wind and fire. One touch from his hand and your insides will melt. He'll find the good in you, if there's any there to be found - and if not, he'll clean out the bad. One's coming..."

And so our time of waiting draws to a close, only to begin again. Let's get wrapped up - like all those presents under our trees - in the intensity of our coming Savior.
Peace. Merry Christmas.