I bet John had a tatoo!

Luke 1:76-80 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ⁷⁶ And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
   for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, ⁷⁷ to give his people the knowledge of salvation
   through the forgiveness of their sins, ⁷⁸ because of the tender mercy of our God,
   by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven ⁷⁹ to shine on those living in darkness
   and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
 ⁸⁰ And the child grew and became strong in spirit^[a]; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.


Doesn't it seem kind of weird that John was born with all this fanfare and then he went out to live in the wilderness to prepare to speak for God? Here is a guy who was labeled a profit at such young age, chosen to prepare the way of the Lord, to teach about salvation, and he leaves everyone behind to go out and eat locust, wild honey and whatever else he can find in the wilderness.  Mark also describes John as being a bit extreme with what he wore. I guess Camels Hair wasn't in fashion then. It would probably be perfectly find today! He was also preaching a message that was pretty radical for the time. Yet, people flocked to him in the wilderness. He didn't have to travel into town and speak at the big arenas or in the synagogue. People came to him. He spoke to everyone, not just the elite or the religious leaders. He spoke to the poor, the "middle class" man and woman. He also wasn't very much of a politician. He spoke what he thought, didn't mix words.  He didn't care who he was talking to the message was the same.  I really kind of admire him. For the most part, I am a conformist. I fit pretty well in middle class america. I don't have any tatoos, no piercings, I have short hair, I dress conservatively, I really work hard to be a normal, average, every day person. God called John to be exactly the opposite. If he were around today, he would definitely have at least one tattoo and I am sure he would have several piercings. His hair would be long and unkept. He would wear torn or ripped jeans, and  would stand out in the  crowd. Am I right?

Am I afraid to go out on a limb like John. If called by God, would I put myself out on the limb like John did. There are a few things I do that are somewhat unconventional. I got married at a really young age,17 (and have been married to the same women for 32 years).  Steph and I had our kids when I was real young and I am now a very young Gramps.   I chose a nontraditional route to get into teaching and I like hanging out with Bikers.

Sometimes we are called by God to step out of our comfort zone and be a little on the radical side. We are not called to melt into the fabric of society. We are to step out and proclaim from the Desert "The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand. Repent and follow the Savior who is Christ the Lord!".  It is a lot easier to just sit back and not create waves, to just be quiet and hope they hear the message of salvation on their own. Getting Bold for a Christian is so important. Boldness in the Creator of the Universe is a great place to be a nonconformist!

Dear Lord, Help us to be bold for you and to step out of our comfort zones to full fill your plan. Help us to listen for our calling and to act on it regardless how bold it is. Amen!