The John Throngs

Today we found the crowds surrounding John. They had come from all over the countryside, and even from Jerusalem. (That city, admittedly, is closer than Rumah, but Who would have known that there was a sincere Jewish soul left in the capitol?)

Some referred to themselves as "JohnThrongs" and seemed to adopt a secret language. It was obvious they had lived in this wilderness community for some time. Here are some pictures:

These men had been together on the Jordan for five weeks, according to the bearded one. Given the size of the crowd seeking John's baptism they were still waiting their turn. I understood why they had to wait so long the day after we met them--they did not even try to reach the baptism site until the sun was high in the sky. Such behavior in the vineyard back home would only earn you a half-day's wages.

This woman had actually escaped from a Roman harem to see John and be baptized! Her confession was so loud I would be surprised if anybody present was unaware of her sins against God, yet after being baptized she looked each and every person she met directly in the face--even the men! She had a smile and a walk that only the truly forgiven might understand. It was her tearful repentance and thorough cleansing that gave me and, I suspect, Leah, the courage we needed to be honest before God, before John, before the strangers, and before each other.

This has been a truly remarkable day--I hope to write more about it later but Leah and I are both truly exhausted.

Have you ever been surprised to learn that a certain person shared your faith? Why was it a surprise? How did you feel afterwards?

posted by Jerad @ 11:05 PM Comments: 0