Let's Move

By Taylor Zehr, a senior elementary education/English learners (TESOL) major from Key West, Florida

As John the Baptist is interrogated by the Pharisees about who he is and why he is baptizing people, he says, “I am the voice of the one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord’… He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

We are not Christ. We are not even worthy to untie his shoes. But in his brokenness, becoming a curse for us, Christ made us whole. Even so, we don’t always see the results. We are still being made whole. We are in a Kingdom of right now, but not yet.

I want more. There are so many beautiful things in my life. People that I love. But our relationships aren’t perfect, and I think that Kingdom “wholeness” means there is more. God is moving and active in my heart and in my life, but as long as I live, I want to know him more.

There are beautiful things happening at Goshen College, but we must continue to grow. There are incredible things and people in this world, but there is so much brokenness. There is room for more. Sometimes this place and this life feels like too much. Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus. Let’s choose to hope when it feels hopeless. Let’s declare “Your Kingdom come” in our world and in our own lives… And with purpose and passion, let’s move.

Scripture: John 1:6-8, 19-28 (NRSV)

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
¹⁹This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” ²¹And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” ²²Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” ²³He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. ²⁴Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” ²⁶John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, ²⁷the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” ²⁸This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.