Life Isn’t A Watermelon

In the early days of our nation, the town crier was the source of news for the community. He would stand in the village square and preface his announcements with the cry, “Hear ye! Hear ye!” Now we have newspapers and TV to keep us informed. But typography and electronically produced pictures have not diminished the importance of the human voice. In fact, TV gives us access to so many voices, sometimes it is difficult to know which one to listen to.

In the desert of Judea almost two thousand years ago, a voice cried out the news of the coming of the Lord. John the Baptizer attracted new followers throughout the surrounding area as he urged his listeners to reform and to be baptized in preparation for the coming of Christ. However, when the crowds flocked to him for baptism, he was not willing to administer the rite without some evidence of their sincerity. When the people asked, “What ought we to do?”…