JOHN JOHN

Maybe I'm a little hasty in calling John The Baptist a "Crazy Old Coot". However, I have to admit he seems like the New Yorker cartoon of Matthew thus far, the cartoon where the man stands on the street corner wearing a sandwhich board that states THE END IS NEAR!

None the less, he seemed pretty popular as everyone from Judea and Jerusalem went to the river to see him and be baptised. Everyone loves a good show.

What struck me the most was this :

"Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey."

Whaaa? Up to this point Matthew, our cold, precise ex-tax collector hadn't described anyone let alone what they wore. No thoughts about Joseph, Mary, the chubby cheeks of little Baby Jesus. Suddenly he's Tim Gunn from Project Runway pointing out fashion as John struts down the Prophet Catwalk. I can only imagine future prophets flaunting their new camel hair coats and leather belts as they work their way down the river.

Even Teen Jesus, caught in the new trends, shows up to be baptised by JTB. "No," JTB announces,"You should be baptising me."

I ponder how Teen Jesus took this, wondering as I do how much he knew about his mission on this Planet. "Mom, why do we have frankincense in the house?" may have been his only thoughts at the time. Nonetheless, he's dunked in the river, a dove (anxious to get his time in the spotlight) flies down and Poppa God is pleased.

Someone is going to get the keys to the car that night.