In The Essential Calvin and Hobbes is the following cartoon:
   Calvin to Hobbes: "I feel bad that I called Susie names and hurt her feelings. I'm sorry I did it."
   Hobbes: "Maybe you should apologize to her."
   Calvin ponders this for a moment and then replies: "I keep hoping there's a less obvious solution."

Come New Year's at least some of us will be making resolutions that we will strive to be better people, improve an aspect of our life; or take on something to make the world a better place:

"This will be the year that I really lose that twenty pounds … I'm going to diet and exercise every day." "This year, I'm finally going to quit … " "This year I vow to start recycling." "This will be the year …

Assuming all else being equal we really know exactly what we need to do in order to stick to our resolutions or to put them in to effect. There are simple things we can do for the first resolution – park as far away in the parking lot as possible to get in a bit of extra exercise; or walk somewhere rather than drive; we know we need to figure out calorie consumption and so on. Yet, obvious as those steps are, how quick are we to rationalize away why we can't follow through on them. Or say, we have decided to become better stewards of our environment. We can hook that with a part of the first resolution and walk somewhere rather than drive. We can recycle more, reuse more and reduce our consumption. But again, how quickly we can rationalize away our resolve. We might ask, what difference will my small efforts make in the face of such massive systemic environmental abuse?

The list could continue on … of the things we know we could do, of the difference we could make; of the better people we could become … of how we could become followers of the Nike rule: "Just Do It!" Instead, we are more like Calvin, we don't always like or want the obvious answer.

While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called "the Baptizer," was preaching in the desert country of Judea. His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here." Accurately or not, we have picture of John the Baptist in our minds. It's not particularly flattering – he's oddly dressed (even for his time), he has an odd diet; and given that he spends a lot of time out in the hot desert, he smells. His message does little to endear him – the religious hierarchy is called a brood of vipers; the crowds are warned of judgment to come. To those who would listen he says "REPENT" – simple enough – "REPENT."

The simple and the obvious. If it were so simple … those who heard John's call didn't like it any more than we do now. It is always tempting when reading this text to recreate the scene … to have come running down the aisles, grabbing persons at random while shouting at them: "REPENT!" We would call this disruptive to the flow of our worship service, the mood ruined. As the person came running down the aisle, we would hope to escape notice lest our spiritual dedication be called into question. I think it is with a bit of sarcasm that Matthew describes that crowds were flocking to hear John's message – think about it – would you gather to hear someone yell at you on Sunday morning?

I keep hoping there's a less obvious solution. Just as we know how to better ourselves personally, we know what John is asking of us. And yet we are uncomfortable with his reminder – sometimes downright angry that he points the finger at us. He is the reminder that we fall short of being all that we were created to be, and that we fall short of truly living as God's people. John says: "Look in the mirror with eyes wide open and take an honest look at yourself." We can not skip over John and arrive at the manger scene. The lectionary doesn't let us – his story appears in all three years of the lectionary cycle. More importantly, we can not pass John's uncomfortable message by and expect to understand what that night in Bethlehem is all about. Without John's call to repentance, Christmas is merely a pause in life to have a party and share some presents.

John's message is our wake up call, to bring us to awareness of our need to turn life around and be in tune with God-living. But his call is more importantly to tell us we can't do it on our own. No matter how many self-improvement programs we try, no matter how many resolutions we make, no matter how hard we try, and no matter how we spin it; the reality is that there is only so far we can go on our own. While we need the message of repentance John brings, his call is not enough.

John knew that. The text tells us: "I baptize with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful that I is coming after me … he will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire." The call to repentance does not end with John's voice … rather for us, the possibilities begin with a baby's cry. Important as John the Baptist's message is, it is not the final message. If it were we would be in constant awareness of how far short we fall; and constantly feeling badly about ourselves. Instead, as John says, his message points the way to the incarnation of God – the answer that is the simple and obvious. We can not do it on our own – it takes the incarnation of God born into the world as Jesus the Christ.

And so it is that we hear John's call to repentance as a call that points us on our way. A call that asks us to travel further into the story – to bring ourselves into the baptizing, healing fire of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. It is there we find the simple and obvious – God-with-us; Emmanuel May the story continue to unfold …