With today's celebration of
Jesus' baptism, the full season of Christmas – marking the events
before and of Jesus' birth and childhood – draws to a gentle close.
So… if Jesus was like us
"in all things but sin", why should He seek
out baptism? – which is the same thing John says in his own objection. Jesus'
response, that this must be done because "it is fitting for us to fulfill
all righteousness" makes no more sense to me at first glance
than it does to you, in all likelihood. But the footnote to this verse in the
online New American Bible explains: "'To fulfill all righteousness' is to submit to the plan of God for
the salvation of the human race. This involves Jesus' identification with
sinners; hence the propriety of his accepting John's baptism."
That helps a good deal.
Ringing true with this is a line from Joan Osborne's thought-provoking
mid-nineties song, "One of Us": "What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us?" What if, indeed? We are told, in fact, that He was –
and thus accepted on Himself, and in His own body, our weaknesses and failings
and mortality and even divine debt, much like St. Maximilian Kolbe at Auschwitz…
only on a numbingly greater, incomprehensible scale.
Further – I've heard this
additional reason for Jesus' baptism, but I don't recall now from whom or where
– His own baptism in a spiritual way consecrated the waters of the Earth, and
the act of baptism itself (making it a sacrament). I pointed this out also a few days
after Christmas, that Jesus' participation in, even His touch, literal or
metaphorical, adds a layer/component of divinity and sanctity... this because –
while indeed "one of us" – He was God and human.
If I might step in slightly
on a personal note, since this would put me in the best possible company (not
out of ego – gulp! – I hope):
Another season draws to a
close today: effective tomorrow morning – January 13, 2008 – I finally reenter
the ranks of the full-time employed. While I can't be specific about the firm
taking this considerable risk (kidding!), I'll be serving on a temp-to-hire
basis as office manager and admin assistant to the founder / executive director
of a non-profit incubator firm. Essentially, they/we assist startup companies
with managing their needs such as supplies, facilities, administrative
miscellany, and so on.
The focus is on technology
and biomedicine, the latter being a whole new thing for me. (Pauli, my younger
daughter's mom, was involved in biomedicine for a good several years herself,
though – again, good company for me!)
The location – actually, two separate
offices in town – is within a few miles of home, a quick car-jaunt, healthy
bike-ride, or ambitious walk. This leaves it still within the outer reaches of
the big Northeast metropolitan business/commercial region, in an area already
rich in technology and biomedical firms, including within reach a military base
that is not on the BRAC hit-list.
This promises to be both a
professional challenge for me, and a bit of educational fun. I'll drop
occasional word in here about how I'm holding up, and out. I'll rub elbows with
select scientists from around the world – including, I believe, one from
Nigeria. I hope s/he speaks Igbo – I'm pretty lousy with Hausa, Yoruba, or even
Edo.
Baptism by fire, in my case,
maybe. (Hope John's nearby with a riverful of water!) Wish me luck!
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