And so this time of prayerful anticipation, this third Sunday in the Advent season this season, this time of rejoicing and preparing for Christmas, we’re introduced to one of my favorite characters in all of the scriptures, John the Baptist. The cousin of Jesus. The name John is an interesting name in itself. It comes from the Hebrew, it means beloved by God. This prophet, this great man, John the Baptist who was beloved by God, is the best of the old. The best of the old. He brings to the center, as it were, the Hebrew scriptures. And he is the connection that leads us into the new testament. Into the time and the presence of Jesus. You know, in our church we have this term, cardinals. We’re all familiar with a cardinal in the church. In so many ways John the Baptist was a cardinal. What does that mean? The word cardinal has nothing to do with the red color that they wear. The word cardinal means a hinge, something that holds two things together. And that’s exactly what John the Baptist does. He hinges together the best of the old tradition, the Hebrew tradition, and he leads us into our Christian, Catholic tradition. He tells us to repent, to turn around and to follow in the ways of the Christ. He invites people to look at a new vision through the eyes of Jesus. Jesus answers John’s questions from prison. Is he the one, or are we to wait for another? And Jesus simply says, “look, pay attention.” We heard that earlier in the Advent season. The blind are seen, the lame are walking, the dead are raised. These are all the signs of the kingdom that have come. The good news, the proclamation that God is with his people. The word that we hear throughout the Advent season, Emmanuel, God with us. And so as we gather at the table of the lord during this Advent season, let us rejoice. Let us be glad, Let us be grateful for great heroes in our tradition like John the Baptist. And let us walk forward with the Christ as we approach the Christmas season.