John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair,
and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and
wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the
whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were
baptized by him in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:4-6).
There’s a new image in my head. Fresh and new, straight out of the Bible, I also know how it will be perceived in the readers’ mind. My younger friends – including my children – may click onto something else quickly because already it has the look of a sermon. 😉 My oldster friends may be smiling indulgently, “What is Froese thinking about now?” Indeed, Froese has been thinking - hesitating - for quite a few days, finally deciding it must be shared. I cannot but speak of what I've been learning recently (adapt from Acts 4:20)! I once heard a little saying, "Fear of the reader can make for boring articles, just like fear of an audience can make for boring speeches." John the Baptist seems not to have been troubled by any of this.
Steven Charleston is author of a book providing much timely food for thought, one chapter entitled “The Clown.” [i] What is so funny about John the Baptist? so begins the chapter. "Not a lot," answers the author, and then into description of this character making waves everywhere. “Not even the Virgin Mary rates such a fashion report." [ii] We have here a clown who makes no effort to entertain and a hippy with full detail of his duds. During my years of preaching, I openly and easily claimed ‘J the B’ as my favorite character in the Bible, not only because of his no-holds barred style (You brood of vipers! Matt 3:7), but also his absolute humble devotion to the one coming after him. Interesting man this anointed precursor of Jesus. I have enjoyed him forever and now fascinated to learn a few more things about him.
But a clown? I am now reading this Vision Quests book
for the third time; something I just don’t ever do as a matter of principle (so
many more books to read). Very intriguing, this biblical character presented as a
clown! Especially in these last several years as the world
seems to be unraveling – irresponsible politicians surprisingly tolerated as
though that’s all we expect of them. "I
remember when ..." is a common expression among my peers. 😏 Apparently, age has a way of skewing memory of history and
anticipation of next years, "… when you are old you will stretch out
your hands, and someone else will ... lead you where you do not want
to go” (John 21:18). Somebody else seems to be in charge now.
Enter a clown. Enter John the Baptist,
at least as per Dr. Charleston, member of the Choctow Nation and an
Episcopalian Bishop. He describes John the Baptist-type eccentrics as regulars
in Indigenous faith communities. He acknowledges that non-Natives may find this
disrespectful and offensive. He explains, “from the theology of the Native
Covenant, it is perfectly accurate because a “clown” in Native American
tradition has a different meaning than it carries in European-based cultures.
In that culture they are not just buffoons to make us laugh … but spiritual
teachers whose job is to make us think.” [iii]
A clown. Perhaps this is why I am now reading
Charleston again. My response is likely in character for us European Caucasian
types, and even moreso for my Mennonite no-nonsense orderly version of that type. From within this vantage, I confess we are as much a part of the
world’s problems as the Israelis and Hamas or the Russians and Ukrainians. Is
there a right and a wrong side? Apocalyptic explanations are everywhere and
fully as self-righteous as the many battles of the Old Testament, usually with
emotive overtones if you do not agree. Among all of this political and interpersonal heat, here is the biblical account. Jesus, the one who us Christians claim as
Messiah, came to be baptized by this character John, who protested saying “I
need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (Matthew 3:14) but
Jesus confidently knew what was needed. When John complied, after baptizing
Jesus the heavens opened up, and a voice from heaven said, “This
is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (3:17). John
the Baptist did that which was required of him. While I still have some
resistance to a holy anointed person characterized as a clown, the large large
purpose of this one preparing the way of the Lord, spoken of already in Isaiah
and fully referenced in the New Testament gospels, [iv] cannot be ignored. Charleston is not
being clownish; he is making a point.
Most of us can think of people who act somewhat contrary, embarrassing parents and neighbors, usually one or two in almost every small town that I can think of during my growing up years. Not necessarily criminals or troublemakers, but often did not quite fit in (Uhtbundts in the Low German language). Almost every family has what used to be called (inappropriately) a black sheep, or at least one who does not quite toe the line, a bit of mystery to siblings and parents. Some of these may actually be over achievers. I have a brother who was out of step with his siblings. He was positive, not given to teenage shenanigans and never in trouble with teachers or parents. He became a legendary softball pitcher well known in all the small towns and even the big city nearby. He pitched to a back catcher also skilled and very competitive, not at all given to Peter's kind-hearted naivety. He signaled the curve balls, burners, change-ups, etc. to the tune of many no hitter games. The crowds would laugh and roar their approval. My brother would pitch exactly as signaled by Cliff - and feel kind of badly for the batters he had just struck out! 😀 Now in his 70’s this brother of mine is still out-of-step with many. A passionate anti-military pacifist living in Colorado with his wife and other like-minded activists in radical simplicity, often appearing in local media not because he craves it, but it makes interesting news clips. Just like when he was a teenaged star athlete, people cannot but pay attention to a personality like this!
Autism comes to
mind as another example. My wife and I have a daughter finally
diagnosed in her thirties - Aspergers high functioning, after years
of bullying by teachers and/or fellow students in elementary and junior high.
Now in middle age she is finally claiming all her God-gifted abilities. Thank
you, God!
Additionally to uhtbundts, there are also many ways
to ‘discover’ or ‘receive’ the gift of faith. There are those who once lived a
life of absolute debauchery and sin, only to be smitten by a sudden experience
from God to the extent that everybody around is now paying attention. The
story of Nicky Cruz, [v] a
gangster-become-preacher in New York City has become a best-seller book and a
blockbuster movie. The Apostle Paul’s discovery of Jesus could be described
similarly. He got knocked off his horse on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Timothy, one of the other Apostles, learned his faith at the knee of his
grandmother (2 Timothy 1).
So, with the world contorting itself in endless strife,
cynicism and despair, many of us seniors (the postwar baby boomers who created
the good life) and millennials and gen xes and zes (children and grandchildren - those now benefiting from the good life). We seemingly know only good life solutions and that’s how we analyze and talk of
all the crap going on. I see provinces liberal or conservative, states democrat
or republican. I see professional sports teams regularly firing coaches just to
provide winning numbers for small-brained fans. Among all
of this there are disillusioned faith seekers shopping around for a perfect
church or club, often self-righteously demanding good logical clean credible
opinionated resolution to world problems (avoiding their own complicity), along
with budget implications of course! Then we read articles, analyses and reports
in Christian media using updated language like “imagine” and “live into,” a new
faith lingo carefully edited with inclusive language complete with correct
pronouns.
Clowns! We probably need some. Not the kind we hire for birthday or office parties to make us laugh. No, we need un-characters similar to the ones that show up at Indigenous Round Dances (Spirit Dances), the ones who act out and even offer some fresh ridiculous ideas on problem solving, like give-aways and sitting with elders to process vision quests. Good reminder from Charleston that John and Jesus both lived the give-away life to the point of sacrifice. “John lost his life as a sacred clown because he brought the chaos of hope into the place of power…. Jesus lost his life because he loved without exclusion.” [vi]
Personal reminder to me that our neighborhoods can and must include increasing awareness that we are settlers and indigenous. And neighborliness includes a little more than evaluating the tidiness or messiness of each other's yards! [vii] The possibilities are before us. It can happen as result of unreserved commitment to the One who received baptism from the anointed clown. The invite is here, Indigenous and/or Settler to come follow Jesus, even if in some new unconventional ways perhaps not dreamed of before.
I have come that they may have life, and have
it to the full (John
10:10).
[i] Chapter 5 in Steven Charleston, The Four Vision
Quests of Jesus (New York: Morehouse Publishing, 2015).
[ii] Ibid, p.78.
[iii] Ibid, p.80. Two sacred clown groupings, the koshares of
the Southwest and heyokas of the Plains. See pp. 81-82 for
examples of their goings-on.
[iv] Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:1-3; Luke 3:4.
[v] David Wilkerson, The Cross and the Switchblade (New
York: Berkley, 1986).
[vi] Charleston, op. cit. p.90.
[vii] "Strangers to Neighbors" very appropriately (providentially?) happens to be the Calgary Interfaith Council theme for this year 2023. It is being recognized as very appropriate given current events in this city as well as world-wide.
