This, the third Sunday of Advent; we are closer to celebrating the birth of Jesus. Our waiting continues – the traffic jams increase daily, impatience grows and we take very uncreative and unjust actions in our quest to satisfy our desires instantly. 

“John in his prison had heard what Christ was doing and he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or have we got to wait for someone else?’”

Waiting is also characterised by doubt.  When we have waited long, it is easy for doubt to creep in to our thinking and being. Is this traffic going to ease? Will this problem be resolved? Are you the one who is to come?

As I meditate on this Gospel, I get a sense that John the Baptist, who was so confident in last week’s Gospel, is not sure that Jesus is the one. We may identify with him waiting, and the doubt that has crept in. We begin to question.

We recall the times when we ourselves have been in prison, to alcohol, an illness, an oppressive relationship, emotional or physical abuse, by being discriminatory or victims of discrimination, enslaved by consumerism, searching like John the Baptist for a saviour, a messiah who will free us from our prisons, who will bring light to our darkness, who will bring peace and justice to our world.

“Go back and tell John …the blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor…”

On the other hand, we may identify with Jesus’ response. What kind of question is this? Can’t you see what is happening? All you need to do is see and believe.

There is so much that is happening in our world, our country and communities today that reveal that Jesus – God is with us. In our waiting we are sometimes blinded by the creativity and innovation that is our reality – there are responses by parishes and communities to healing brokenness – economic, social, psychological and environmental. 

We are always looking and waiting for the government or some other authority to do something about crime, about poverty, about environmental degradation, about child abuse, about spouse abuse. Within our communities and parishes we have the power to do something. People are acting, implementing creative projects that are feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, restoring forests, creating jobs. 

The Poverty Reduction Programme where I work has funded, throughout Trinidad and Tobago, over 350 community projects designed and implemented by people who want to make the blind see – literacy projects that bring sight to those blinded by illiteracy, the lame walk – skills training projects that motivate the paralysed into action, and the dead are raised to life – cultural projects that bring to life dying art forms.

These are the evidence that the Messiah is here, among us.  Blessed are we who have faith to see and accept this truth.
“…and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me.”

Last week we went to Point Fortin to host a Grant Awards ceremony to recognise 44 groups that had received funding from our Poverty Reduction Programme to implement projects in their communities with the poor and vulnerable. In the speeches Point Fortin was identified as having a poverty rate of 25%.

However, throughout the programme the Chairs of the proceedings kept reminding us about the richness of the Borough. Finally the CEO of the Borough Corporation, Patricia Bradshaw in giving the vote of thanks admonished us that while the official data is suggesting that the poverty rate is high, in fact, the economic setback people are experiencing is only temporary, transient. 

She reminded us about the cultural, economic and intellectual gold mine that is Point Fortin. She was reminding us, like Jesus, that we must not lose faith in ourselves to be able to change our reality and that the poor are not poor at all.

“A reed swaying in the breeze…A man wearing fine clothes…a prophet.”
For us to change our reality Jesus presents us with the model of John the Baptist.

One cannot begin to transform our unjust reality if we are easily swayed by powerbrokers, the wealthy, and the manipulators. Neither can we do it from our ivory towers.

Only by understanding and working with those who are in need, the poor and vulnerable, can we begin to prepare a way so that others might follow and even do greater things than we have done.

Lord, we are always looking for someone to come and save us, send us people like Jesus who will point out for us the great things you are doing in our communities, people are becoming self-reliant, they are realising that they are not poor at all, that if they have faith in themselves they can change their reality.

We pray for all those involved in serving the poor and vulnerable in their communities. May they continue to provide avenues for others to free themselves from their prisons. Lord, we thank you for the models of leadership in John the Baptist and Jesus you present us to follow in serving our communities.

Gospel Meditations for December are by Gary Tagallie of the parish of St Philip &St James, Chaguanas. The Programme Manager of the Poverty Reduction programme of the Ministry of Social Development, Gary and his wife Sheila Maria are the parents of four young children.