Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, John 1:20-34

He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit…

Why does John the Baptist repeat, “I did not know him,” when he was a relative of Jesus and had known him from childhood? Probably because he did not yet know Jesus’ true mission. He recognized it only when he saw the Spirit descend on him. And he testified, “This is the Son of God” (John 1:34). At that moment, however, it certainly did not occur to John that Jesus would one day be crucified. And certainly not that he could rise from the dead. When the resurrection happened, John had long since passed away. But even those who lived and knew Jesus well had a difficult time believing it.

Some loved him; others hated him.

Yes, Jesus does not act according to human ideas. He surprised John when he revealed himself to him as the Son of God. He shocked his listeners when he preached about love and forgiveness rather than about laws and punishments. He amazed the sick and the poor by healing them and giving them food. On the contrary, he infuriated those who thought they were perfect and despised others. He often acted differently than people would expect. Some loved him for this; others hated him.

And it is still the case. It is just more difficult for us because we no longer see Jesus as a man among us. However, we believe that he is the head of the church and that he rules history. And that he therefore has a solution to our problems even today. But we do not know the solution. And perhaps when it comes, we will be surprised. Because John baptized with water, but Jesus with the Holy Spirit. Because we solve things with human means, but he with divine means. How can such grace be manifested in the crises of our time?

Will God change our hearts?

Our planet is suffering: we are depleting its resources, polluting it with our waste, exterminating thousands of species of animals and plants, and warming the atmosphere. We know what needs to be done to stop this destructive process. However, we are unable to reach a consensus on taking action. Will God change our hearts so that we commit to it? What kind of world will our descendants live in in a hundred years? What will be God’s solution? Our church is experiencing a crisis: due to the failures of many of its members, it is losing credibility; due to its closure within its structures and laws, many faithful are leaving it; and due to its inability to respond to the questions of our time, many seekers are turning to other spiritual directions. Pope Francis is responding to the issue with the synodal process. Will we be open to God’s guidance in it? What will the Church be like after this synod? Open and welcoming, or will it become a fortified castle? What is God’s solution?

Our families are helpless: many marriages are breaking up, many partners live together without a marriage bond, many children cannot be born, same-sex couples are demanding marital and parental rights… Does this mean the end of the family? Will it lead to the extinction of humanity? Or will we also find positive values ​​in this development—love, equality of men and women, and respect for human dignity? What will the families of our children and grandchildren be like? What is God’s solution? And finally, we are experiencing a war: a year ago, we could not have imagined such a thing. Hundreds of thousands of people are dying senselessly, millions of people are suffering unnecessarily, and the fragile peace of all humanity has become dangerously unstable. Will it be built on respect for the rights of individuals and nations, or on an agreement between the great powers? What is God’s solution?

We do not have to wait passively.

No one knows how all these crises will turn out. And often, even we Christians do not agree on what the best solution would be. Yet we believe that we are in God’s hands. God has a solution that benefits all of us. Perhaps when it comes, we will be as surprised as John when he saw the Spirit descend on Jesus or as the disciples at the empty tomb. But we do not have to just wait passively. If we have come to know Jesus, we can actively seek his solution now: by listening attentively to his word, by critically reflecting on history and the signs of our times, by perceiving the pain of people and the lamentation of the entire planet, by engaging in dialogue with those who ask themselves similar questions as we do, and by praying to the Holy Spirit and asking him for light. Then perhaps we will also be invited to cooperate in God’s solution.