Midweek Devotional 11 December 2024

Reading

Luke: 3:2-4

...during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

    make straight paths for him....'"

Devotion

 

Author's photo taken at the Nelson-Atkins in KC, MO.

I went and spent time last week with this lovely Caravaggio rendering of John the Baptist.  It lives in a gallery on the second floor of the Nelson-Atkins museum in nearby Kansas City, Missouri.  My poor photography efforts do not do it justice.  I encourage a visit if you are able.

A friend of mine had this to say of the painting, all in good humor: 'Renaissance painting - Deep Thoughts While Toweling After Shower. subtitle What was I supposed to do today?'  I have to admit if I didn't know that this was 1) a Caravaggio and 2) a painting of John the Baptist, I might be inclined to agree!

Caravaggio (1571-1610) was an Italian painter who lived and worked in Rome for most of his life.  He is known for capturing the human state, both physical and emotional in great detail. Caravaggio employed close physical observation with a dramatic use of chiaroscuro that came to be known as tenebrism.  If you aren't yet familiar with terms like "chiaroscuro" and "tenebrism" I encourage you to go down that rabbit hole on the internet and explore them!

This painting, with its pitch-black background has a figure that seems to be emerging from the darkness.  The posture is awkward.  We see he holds a staff, has animal skins wrapped round his middle and is draped in a resplendent red garment of some sort.  There is a brooding melancholy in my mind in this painting.  John seems to be focused on an inner life that we cannot behold but only perhaps imagine.  A prayer or pondering focused on forgiveness and repentance, perhaps?

I encourage you to attend to your inner life, this week, dear reader.  Where are you being reminded in your spirit to practice forgiveness?  What does such forgiveness need to look like?  Pray, this week, for someone who 'gets under your skin' and pray that God bless them with abundance, joy and peace.  Do this twice a day.  I think you'll find that your path to God will become straighter!  Drop me a line and let me know!

Prayer

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, collect for Advent 2)