Not long after Jesus ascended into heaven, the archangel Gabriel asked him, “Lord, what is going to happen now that you are back here in heaven? Who is going to carry on the work you began down there?” Jesus replied, “I am leaving that up to Peter, James, John, Martha, her sister, Mary, and the rest of the disciples.” “But,” protested Gabriel, “what if they don’t do it? What if your plan doesn’t work out? Then what?” “Gabe,” Jesus answered, “I have no other plans.”
Fortunately, for us, they and countless generations of Christians carried out the work that Jesus began. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here, celebrating the birth of his cousin, John the Baptist. As the conversation between Jesus and Gabriel suggests, God uses people to carry out his divine mission.
To be used by others is not always appreciated. In fact, some people resent being used or put upon. But who among us wouldn’t feel honored if Jesus stood here in person and asked a favor? Wouldn’t you be flattered?
Do you honestly feel that God’s plan includes you? Some scientists, notably those in the field of biology, tell us that there is no purpose to our existence. Like insects, we come and go and the world goes on. One Nobel Prize winner noted, “Destiny is written concurrently with the event, not prior to it. Our own destiny was not written before the emergence of the human species. Our number came up in the Monte Carlo game.” What a woeful look on human life, telling us that basically our lives are pointless, meaningless, and of little significance. God certainly doesn’t think so.
An irreligious person could easily fall into such a mindset. When we become oblivious to God’s love, we become oblivious to God’s plan as well. Long ago, I learned that God knows everything, but because of our free will, God doesn’t control our lives. To say that God is not in control, however, does not mean that our lives have no destiny.
John is remembered on his birthday for living out the plan God had in mind for him. His parents’ neighbors asked, “What will this child be?” They knew the hand of the Lord was on the boy and that his life wasn’t a random toss of the dice or a fluke in time. God also knew that Zechariah and Elizabeth would consent to raising a son, whom they would name John; a son who would boldly go forth to call people to repentance at the risk of losing his own life.
So what might your destiny be? I cannot say, but I do know that by virtue of your baptism, you are called by God to be part of this divine plan that Christ began so long ago. The hand of the Lord is also upon you, just as it was on John the Baptist. You are blessed with a destiny that, if you choose to live it, will bring you God’s gift of eternal salvation.
At this moment, we may have some idea of what tomorrow will bring with the goals we’ve set for ourselves, but we cannot predict all that the future can be. God alone knows what potential the future holds for us. Meanwhile, God invites us to journey toward the future, sustained by the conviction that God will be with us all the way.
Forty years ago, I graduated from high school. While in college I visited Whidbey Island for the first time. Had you told me then and there that I would someday become a priest and serve as a pastor on this island, I would have shaken my head in disbelief, for back then, the notion of becoming a priest was the last thing on my mind. But God has always worked in interesting and at times mysterious ways, sending people into my life who impacted my destiny by what they said and did.
And I am not alone. God does the same thing with you. In countless and often unsuspecting ways, God sends people into your lives to shape your destiny with the hope that you will choose to grow even deeper in your love. God also sends you, perhaps in ways you least expect to be used, into the lives of others, anticipating that you will make a difference in bringing someone else closer to God.
To think that God hasn’t called you to be part of this grand plan of salvation would be a mistake. While our destiny isn’t likely to be as far-reaching as John the Baptist, God does have a plan for each of us to follow, but first we must recognize what being a disciple entails and live accordingly. In addition to living out the commandments, that means being people of compassion, justice, and forgiveness. If John the Baptist were to stand in our midst, undoubtedly he would challenge us to make choices that send the message that God is first in our lives.
In the first passage from Isaiah, we read that God’s servant was like a ready instrument should the Lord need him, “He made of me a sharp edged sword…a polished arrow…You are my servant through whom I show my glory.”
As Christians, we are baptized into Christ and we “put on Christ.” As a priest, I see my life as possibly “another John,” pointing others to Christ as John the Baptist did, preparing the way for Christ to enter the lives of others. I know that I am not alone in this undertaking for I think of every Christian, and that includes you, as another “John” as well, favored by God, called to become strong in the spirit, to speak with courage against evil in the world and, to ponder if we really are ready for the one who is to come. After all, Jesus has no other plan. He is counting on you and me to do our part.