Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”- Matthew 3:13-14

Sometimes the most familiar events in the gospel are the hardest to interpret. The Baptism of our Lord is a good example. It is hard to make a genuine connection with this particular event to our everyday life. It seems virtually impossible to understand why this event would be relevant to homeless children and teens. Perhaps the key is John the Baptist. He might the person who can help us extract deep spiritual truths from this sacred moment in Jesus’ life. John the Baptist had been preparing his whole life for this moment. For him, the Baptism of Jesus changed the world in a concrete manner. Perhaps this change is not visible for everyone. It is something visible only for those who feel disoriented and unsatisfied with this world. People who have said, “No” to all that this world has to offer.

“Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.”- Matthew 3:4

The gospel of Matthew is the only one to reveal John’s strange fashion sense and bizarre diet. Some scholars say that he was mimicking certain prophets. Perhaps this is true. However, the people who listened to him were not scholars. They were mere commoners. They listened to this man who was completely out of place in his society. His message brought hope to their souls. They identified with him in a deep spiritual sense. They shared his awkwardness in this world.
Our children and teens in the streets are not unlike John’s disciples. Some of them even dress almost like him. They use dirty cotton blankets and donated clothes. They do not follow any fashion of their society. John’s diet was based on what was available to him. Our children only eat what is available to them. John was lived His life this way because He said, “No” to the world. He did not want to belong to this world with all its standards and values. People think that our children are homeless because they are extremely poor. This is only part of the story. The city of São Paulo has millions people who live in extreme poverty but not all of them are homeless. Our children are fed up with all the false promises that the world has offered them and they are homeless because they said, “no” to all the lies that the world proffered to them. In a way, they have more in common with John than we do. They would have embraced John the Baptist as one of them. Maybe they might read the story of Jesus’ baptism and find it to be exciting and relevant. Of all the religious leaders and authorities in His time, Jesus came to the most awkward person in his society to be baptized. It says one thing concretely. Jesus identified with John and his ministry to those who are maladjusted in society.
The story of John doesn’t end here. Before he dies, the gospel narrates one final interaction between John and Jesus. John was imprisoned. Everything was falling apart for him. Death was imminent. John began to wonder if Jesus really was initiating something new in his midst. He needed help to discern Jesus’ actions in this world. He sent his disciples to ask Jesus a pivotal question, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” (Matthew 11:3)

This is a fair question! Some can interpret it as a moment of doubt in John’s life. Perhaps. Dealing with doubts is very much part of living out our faith. In a way, our questions and doubts help us to live a more authentic life of faith in this world.
A few days before Christmas, we got a letter in the mail. Some of the older teens use our address to receive correspondence. We were handed a letter for Renan Vitor Lopes. Once again, we were reminded of the brutal murder of this young life in the streets. The first image that came to my mind when I saw Renan’s name on the letter wasn’t his tragic death. It was actually the day when we spent with him trying to help him register for a job. It is a complicated bureaucratic process in Brazil and it took us the whole day to do it. Renan did not mind. He was quite cheerful throughout day. He was about 18 but emotionally about ten. He spent most of his life in the streets and it had stunted his emotional development. He did not have the opportunity to be a child in the streets. However, when he was with us, he was playful and silly like a little child. We had a delightful time with him. It was a day where we were like his parents and he was like our son. It remains one of our most precious memories. Renan is no more because of hatred.
We received this letter during the season of Christmas when everything is supposed to be cheerful and festive. However, a simple letter confronted us with a harsh reality of this cruel world. Christmas and even this short season of Epiphany where we find ourselves cannot be fully appreciated unless we confront the chaos and darkness that prevails in this world. We need to bring all this chaos and injustice before the Incarnate God and ask Him the question that John asked, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Because all the hymns we sing seem to say that He is the One.
Jesus gave John a simple answer.
“Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.” – Matthew 11:4-5
The gospel never tells us how John reacted to Jesus’ answer. Perhaps it is not important. The answer is really for all of us who want to live our faith in this world. We live in a reality that is constantly trying to convince to look at the chaos and hopelessness that surrounds us. It seems to take pleasure in the darkness and the deeds of the darkness. However, something powerful happened at the Baptism of Jesus. The Kingdom of Light was established in this dark world. Its presence continues to be strong and powerful in our midst even though we might be able to see it clearly. Perhaps we are looking for the wrong things. Maybe we are looking for it in the wrong places. Jesus’ answer to John holds the key for those who want to discover the Kingdom of God initiated at the baptism of our Lord. Jesus tells John and us where to look for His Kingdom of Light. Its light shines brightly in this world but we need to turn away from the shadows and see its radiance. It is present among those whom the world has considered inadequate, defective or disposable. These are the ones who will help us understand if Jesus really is the Messiah or whether we should wait for another.
The day after Renan’s passing, we went to the streets to be with the children. Our hearts were heavy. We wanted some sort of justice. We hoped that the perpetrator of this heinous crime would be judged or punished in some way. However, when we arrived in the streets, we were greeted with the Light. The children and teens lived in a more realistic place than us. They knew that this unjust system is unable to love and care for those whom it considers to be outcasts. Our children knew that there is no justice for them in this world. Instead, they looked to us. They did not want us to do any great feat. They wanted to see our tears and sorrow for the loss of one of their brethren. This brought comfort to their hearts. I told them about the overwhelming response I received from people like yourselves whose hearts were torn to hear such horrific news. They smiled. They knew that even though they were rejected by this world, there was a Kingdom where their lives were valued and treasured. Hatred and Violence tried to wound their souls but the Incarnate King brought healing to their lives. They were reminded once again that they might be abandoned by society and their families but God is their father in the midst. He sends His children from away to comfort and remind them that His Kingdom will always be in their midst. In this Kingdom, they will always be full citizens. This was all they wanted to know and we, including all the social workers and those who mourned the death of Renan, were living proof that Jesus was in the midst of them.
Jesus used the children to answer the question we asked him. The same one that John asked, “Are you the One or are we to wait for someone else?” The answer was clear and astounding, “Yes! He is the One.” I hope that you are able to hear it too.