Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord
. . . the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins . . . “(Prepare Ye) . . . the way of the Lord.”
Luke 3: 2 – 4
My all-time favorite musical is Godspell. My wife and I went to see the original off-Broadway production way back in 1971. We saw the movie version in 1974 and bought the video when it was released. In 1987, 1995, 2000, and 2006, Godspell was performed on stages in New York and New Jersey. Not only did Wanda and I go to these performances, but we brought family members, co-workers and special friends to share in this wonderful experience.
Deacon Lex Ferrauiola
Godspell is a musical rendition of the Gospel of Saint Matthew set-in modern-day New York City. Jesus is portrayed as a loving, warm, and energetic figure with a great sense of humor. He wears a Superman shirt, sneakers and has a heart drawn in greasepaint on his forehead. He gathers a ragtag group of disciples from the streets, the subways, the parks, and office buildings; together they sing and dance their way through the parables and ultimately through the crucifixion to the resurrection.
The movie version opens with John the Baptist walking across an empty Brooklyn Bridge at dawn, calling the world to conversion. He is pushing a tinker’s cart and singing “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!” The movie ends with the disciples carrying the crucified body of Jesus down a deserted early morning street. They are singing the same song, “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!”
They reach a deserted corner that looks like it could be Park Avenue and E. 60th Street. They turn the corner and are out of sight, but you can still hear them singing. As the camera turns the corner you can no longer see the disciples carrying Jesus. All you can see are the faces of hundreds of oncoming, every day, ordinary people just like you and me rushing about their business.
Each time I see this movie and the camera turns that corner, I am filled with emotion. I can see the risen Christ present in each of those oncoming faces. And I am thankful that I, like each of you, have been called as a disciple to prepare the way of the Lord in our world.
The above Gospel brings to mind John the Baptist pushing his tinker’s cart across the Brooklyn Bridge and calling us to conversion. But conversion is not a onetime event. We are called to conversion and to renewal everyday of our lives. Conversion is not a matter of believing the right thing; it’s a matter of loving, forgiving, listening and being present: present to God, present to our children, our spouse, our friends, and to all those we meet along the way.
Conversion is a lifelong journey — one during which we frequently trip and fall. But God gives us time to get it right. Each new day is a new beginning, a gift from God, a ‘do over’ — a chance to forgive, to love, to be kind.
As we experience Advent this year, let us hear the voice of John the Baptist calling us to conversion; calling us to love, to forgive, to be kind; to reach out and reconcile with those whom we have not spoken in years, due to anger or resentment or guilt; calling us to Prepare the Way of the Lord in our own lives. And let us recommit ourselves as disciples to follow Jesus with singing and dancing and joy through the rush hour of life.