17 My Monologues with John the Baptist

17 My Monologues with John the Baptist

Dear JB, 

As an adolescent boy, 

I could never ever have 

Addressed you as 'Dear' 

Because of my Earliest recollections of You 

Was very frightening and far from being friendly!

Dear JB,

From the Sunday Sermons I have heard, 

From the Catechism lessons i have had, 

From the biblical narratives i have read 

From the vivid visuals of various Paintings  
From the short Stage Plays about you, 

From everyone of the above sources

Formed in me a frightening figure of You!

Dear JB, 

I like to imagine you as a tough and tall man 

In your thirties, with a bushy black beard and Long unkempt curly hair flowing over your  

Shoulders typical of a Nazarite-Essene Monk. 

You used to wear a robe made of camel-skin  
Fastened with a leather belt around your waist.

Though you seem to be ruggedly handsome,

You give the look of a rough and rugged Male!

Dear JB, 

You had frugal food habits consisting of 

Locusts and wild vegetable honey, right?

You never took any Intoxicating Drinks!

Your staple diet and your simple attire, 

Your straight-forward, plain speaking, 

Made You a pukka ascetic in appearance and a 

Firebrand Itinerant Preacher at heart, right?

Dear JB,

Though your call to repentance and reparation,

Was head on and harsh, yet it was hearty.

It attracted the crowd and they flocked.

It appealed to their hearts and they repented.

Soldiers, Sinners, and Tax Collectors,

 In droves, they came, they sought and got

The Baptism of Repentance in River Jordan!

Dear JB, 

Your plain yet powerful Preaching 

Pierced many a hardened hearts and minds

Ruffled many a feathers of the famous,

Rattled many a cages of the crafty

Men and Women, from ordinary homes and 
Hamlets, and from Palaces, royals like

Herod Antipas, Herodias, and Salome!

Your Roaring Message sent shivers to them all!

Dear JB,

Your Daring Message had a biting edge 

You warned them of the imminent judge

You wanted them to repent and produce fruit

You vowed impending and engulfing Fire Pit

You sensed the fury of the Wrath to come

You saw the Ax to be laid to the Unfruitful trees

You dared the Pharisees as "brood of Vipers."

Dear JB,

When they heard your fiery preaching

When they felt your caring dealings 

When they saw your spartan living 

When you minced no words with the mighty

When they saw your zeal and your zest

When you called a spade a spade

They wondered whether you were the Messiah!

Dear JB,

When they came asking whether you are 

A prophet?  or whether you are Elijah?  or

Whether you are the very Christ to come?

How come that you didn't care to say, I am!

Had you said, "Yes, I am a prophet for you"

Sure, they would have accepted you as one!

You never thought that way, 
But, I would have !!

 Dear JB,

If you were a Fake and a Mask wearing Fakeer

You would have fallen for the fancy and fiction

Of being a prophet or Messiah of the Moment

Especially when people were looking for One.

You could have played the part so apt and fast

For a time you could have had a real good time

But it never ever crossed your mind so to act!

Dear JB,

While you ran away from it and shunned it,

A part of me actively seeks and runs after it!

That's the ambitious and arrogant part of Me!

I would have arrogated to myself honors and Office in my hunger for power, pomp and pelf

As I have done it in my adult and midlife years!

Unlike you, I like hogging in the limelight!

Dear JB,

How great of you! to consider yourself to be

Unworthy to unlock the thongs of his sandals!

How mature and noble of you to have said, 

"I must decrease and he must increase!"

How humble of you to have kept on telling,

"I am a voice crying in the wilderness."

Dear JB

How selfless of you to have pointed out Jesus

"Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" and thus make him the Star!

How self content and healed of you to say,

"The one who comes after.. is greater than me."

How realistic of you to have been convinced That you are not the light, but came  just to bear Witness to the light! Rarest of the Rare You are!

Dear JB,

From the First Three Gospel Narratives,  

You are presented as an upright, overzealous 
And indignant rebellious preacher in real hurry. 
You are blatantly critical of the corruption and Hypocrisy of the rank and file of Jewish Religion, of its Rulers, and of the Nation. 

You are a downright radical rebel for Yahweh.

Dear JB,

Most of the time your preaching was full of Anger and filled with fury, it was a righteous

Anger, an indignant anger, it was an anger

That was not rage, that was not personal and

Vengeance filled, you anger was against evil

And injustice, against a system so corrupt!

Your anger was against evil and sin you saw.

Dear JB,

When I feel angry, I turn violent and volatile 

My anger turns often into hate and revenge

Most of the time I feel angry and I get furious

Because of some imagined injustice is being

Done to  block my selfish  plans and actions. 

How I wish to 'Be angry, but without sinning.'

As you kept on doing it, I wish and want too!

Dear JB,

Yet the Fourth Gospel Narratives presents you 
As a self effacing Gentleman to the fingertip. 
You claim just to be a witness to the Light, 

You are just a Voice in the Judean Wilderness, 
You are a fading away self sacrificial Preacher.

You never ever performed any miracle at all!

You are humble enough to face your dreary 

Dungeon days of tormenting bouts of doubts.

Dear JB, 

When I think of myself as someone more than 
Double of your age but only in the numerical Counting of years lived, yet lacking in quality 
Missing out many a chances of bearing fruits 

Of real repentance and lasting reconciliation 

Many a times it is Me who wants to increase  
And others to decrease, so inverse of You!

Dear JB,

Will I ever be able to emulate your humility?

Will I ever be able to follow your simplicity?

Will I ever be able to be self giving as you did?

Will I ever be able to let others increase?

Will I ever be able not to seek the limelight?

Will I ever be able to decrease my crazy Ego?

I know it is difficult, yet I want to keep trying!

My Lord and my God,

Despite his moments of doubts and despair,

Didn't you say, your cousin JB is more  than

A prophet and greater than many of us men?

My Lord and my God, I have no illusion that

I can be any where near him in witnessing You!

All I want, wish and pray is a very strong will

To keep trying and trying and 
Never be tired of trying until I retire in you for ever and ever!

My Lord and my God,  

I want to spend some time in Silence, 

in Your Presence.

"Speak Lord, your servant is listening!"

Keep on speaking to me, 

My Lord and my God!

Amen

JoAchen 

Friday, November 14, 2014

joekallani@gmail.com

PS

These Reflections are neither pure scientific exegetical interpretations nor highly theological explanations. 

They are my devotional meditations mainly meant for my personal renewal and spiritual growth. 

I plan on uploading a Reflection each on 

7th,14th, 21st, & 28th of every month.

Dear Reader, as I keep holding you in my daily prayers, I request you to do the same for me. 

Thank you! 

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