So much of the Christmas festivity is focused on the Baby and the birth, the celebration and the incarnation – and rightly so. This is the time of year where we stop to focus on God’s lavish gift of redemption and grace through the Word become flesh. But before there is Christmas, there is need for preparation. And before the coming of Messiah, John the Baptist came to prepare the way. Mark’s gospel begins with him. Mary’s pregnancy intersects with him. And as a scratchy, uncanny unorthodox character, John’s words prepared the people of God for the coming Kingdom of God and the dawning of a new age. This Advent season, we too enter a season of preparation. As we listen and learn from John the Baptizer, we are invited to confront the things we may not want to so that we are ready to receive our King.