The people were filled with expectation

Our expectations are not high.

Should a prophet like John appear in our midst

to tell us how we should modify our lifestyles

so that the whole planet and all its people might benefit;

we would not listen.

We would dismiss him,

deny any truth in her message

and surround ourselves with clever people

to comfort and reassure us.

We would prefer, rather, that some Father Christmas fix-it-God

should descend from the heavens

with his big red bag of gifts for humankind

and sort everything out,

(world peace, climate change, terrorism, the poor,

domestic violence and such);

but most of us don't really expect that to happen.

In the end we find ourselves reluctantly admitting

that the prophet might have been right,

and that change

and fruitfulness

and real hope

might have something to do with the serious work

of repentance.

But, then again . . .

© Ken Rookes 2015