"He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Clear the road for him!' "

Mark 1:3

I cannot read Mark 1:3 without hearing echoes in my mind of the stirring song from the 1970 musical Godspell (an old spelling of the word “gospel”). Here, John the Baptist sang in the language of King James, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord! Prepare ye the way of the Lord!”

Indeed, John the Baptist was raised up by God in fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3-5 as the one who cries out to Israel to get ready for the coming of the Lord. By calling the Jews to repent and by baptizing them as a sign of their repentance, John set the stage for the coming of Jesus and his announcement of God’s kingdom. Moreover, he pointed directly to the advent of one who would baptize, not with water, but with the Holy Spirit (1:8).

How can we prepare the way of the Lord in our own lives? What can we do to be ready when God chooses to move in and through us? To be sure, repentance continues to be at the core of readiness for God. The commitment to turn our lives around and follow his way of life helps to prepare us. Yet repentance implies a prior awareness of our need. We look at our lives and recognize that we need God. Or if we have begun in relationship with him, we acknowledge that we need more of him. Seeing and admitting how much we need the Lord opens our hearts to receive him.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: What helps you to be ready for God’s work in your life? When you hear the word “repentance,” what do you envision? What does it mean to repent?

PRAYER: O Lord, may I be prepared for you. May I be ready to receive every gift you have for me. May I be available when you want to work through me. Let nothing stand in the way of your presence in my life. Amen.