12/07/2025 2nd Week in Advent

Turn Back Oh Man

In 1916 English poet and playwright, Clifford Bax wrote a poem with this title. Though it doesn’t say so specifically, it is probably influenced by the then current war in Europe referred to as “The Great War” or “The War to End All Wars”, and after we had a similar conflict just 15 or so years later, it became known simply as World War I. The first line said in another way is to repent and give up your wicked ways. The poem gets a little darker and speaks a bit about what happens when we don’t make this turn. But I’m not going to spend time talking about that. Let’s concentrate on the light at the end of our proverbial tunnel. John and baptism and Jesus and salvation.

Bax’s poem is set to the music of a 16^th century hymn by Gustav Holst. Many decades later it becomes part of a “Rock Opera” called “Godspell” with new music by Stephen Schwartz. 1974 or 1975, I can’t remember, I had the pleasure of performing in a high school production of this show. This was about the time I received my first calling from God to ministry. Putting scripture to contemporary music was something that influenced me and many other young people in a positive way. With a bass guitar and drums and electric piano we are receiving the message to Repent for the Kingdom of God is at Hand.

Here we are in the second week of the Advent season. Today’s Gospel lesson from Mathew talks of John the Baptist. Isiah prophesied of John the Baptist saying, “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.” John was a preacher who was a little bit different. He was out in the wilderness. His clothes were a little wild. The food he ate was a little wild. In Mathew 3:11 he tells us of one that would come that he was not worthy to carry his sandals. This “man” who is coming would baptize with “fire.” The 12^th verse says that he will have “Winnowing Fork in his hand.” This is a tool to separate the grain from the chaff or husk. So we will be separated similarly into good and bad. “Gathering his wheat into the barn”, those faithful and obedient to God will be rewarded in God’s eternal kingdom.

Romans 3:23 tells us that “All men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We know that man is inherently sinful. But the Gospel also tells us that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Can we turn back? Should we repent? Yes. Especially in this season of Advent. We should recognize that the Kingdom of Heaven which is Jesus is at hand. The incarnate presence of God came to us some 2000 years ago. The prophets foretold his coming. The star led the way to him. People anticipated his coming. We do too. We have a few weeks until we celebrate the Nativity of the Lord. We should prepare the way. How can we do that?

There is a popular social catchphrase that is used and it goes “Think Global, Act Local.” Well I’m going to kind of go off of that concept and give you my own catchphrase for preparing for the coming of Jesus. “A Better Me Makes a Better Us.” Maybe it doesn’t sound very Christian or scriptural but if you apply it in a certain way it will certainly have that effect. So if we repent and turn from our wicked ways we will no doubt be better people. If we are better people we can help to create a better place for us all to share.

You know it really shouldn’t be that hard because Jesus gave us all we needed to be the kind of people that God intended for us to be. Certainly we have the Ten Commandments handed down by God to Moses. Then when Jesus was prompted he gave us 2 more commandments that are consistent with God’s love. He told us to love God with all our heart and then love your neighbor as yourself. That seems simple enough, no?

Christmas is almost here. Take this time to repent and get right with God. Draw closer to him with prayer and devotion. Come to mass. Take part in adoration. Confess your sins and maybe change your ways. Love God and love others. Prepare the way and make paths straight. We know that Christmas will come on the 25^th and we are all going to strive to be ready before it gets here. Jesus, we know, is going to return to us for final judgment and establishment of his kingdom. But we do not have a date on the calendar for that. We need to be prepared for it. God bless us.