Today people all over are celebrating the birthday of St. John the Baptist, also known as St. Hans Day or Jonsok (Norwegian). Luke 1:26 indicates that John the Baptist is approximately 6 months older then Jesus thus the church chose today as the day of celebration for the birth of John. Very few American Christians even know about this day much less celebrate it, however people all over Norway and other countries are celebrating. This is one of the many holidays that I would like to teach my family about. Part of the celebrations for this day is the lighting of big bonfires, gathering together, eating good food and dancing. As with many church festivals, it replaced the pagan festival of the Summer Solstice. The burning bonfires are actually a remnant of those pagan rituals. Bonfires were originally burned to expel evil powers from the village. Summer solstice is such a fun time in Norway. I remember the last time I was out visiting some relatives in Norway we drove from Oslo all the way up north. It was such a long drive but fun, we would stop in various towns visiting friends and family. The one thing I was so excited about was being there during this time. It stayed light and people would stay up fellowshipping and enjoying each others company. I wish I had some of the pictures from the trip. It was so exciting for me at the time to take pictures with the time printed in the bottom corner of the photo. The photos were what looked like beautiful summer days but the time recorded would indicate the wee hours of the morning.

John the Baptist was a remarkable man, an opinion that my family seems to agree with me on. John is the popular boy’s name it seems like in my family. My brother, two uncles (mom’s only brother and dad’s brother), grandfather (mom’s dad), and a few cousins here and there are all named John. It has kind of been the theme to name each boy (and there aren’t a ton of those in the family, mostly girls!) John. I always vehemently declared that I would never name any male child of mine John simply because there were far to many of them in the family. However after really listening to the stories of Scripture and in particular the story of John the Baptist I can’t help but actually consider it (and I can’t believe I just admitted that). :D I could go on and on about the way that this historical figure tugs at my heartstrings but it would be soo much better over coffee. ;D One thing I would say is, from the time John the Baptist was in Elizabeth’s womb he literally leapt for joy when in the presence of Christ. Oh to have that heart, to not need to see Him or see anything for that matter and simply know that my Lord is near and leap. He knew the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords before he knew anything else. He knew His Messiah was near and was filled with such joy that he responded in the only way he could. He leapt. He goes on to spend his life serving God with all his heart, spending time seeking God in the wilderness, then proclaiming the message that the time of Christ was near and when he met Christ at the river his humility is overwhelming. Christ said two things about John that really stood out to me. The first is found in Matthew 11:11, "Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist." Wow that’s a pretty rock solid personal reference. The second thing He said recorded in John 5:35. Christ had been informed of John’s death (which was 6 months prior to the death of Christ) and he responded to the news saying, “John was a lamp that burned and gave light…” I want to leave you a challenge to get to know this man better, study him and learn all that you can from this life. Christ seemed to think pretty highly of him. The other thing I want to leave you with John’s words, they have often been a reminder to me of the heart of true disciple. When Christ came to John to be baptized, John tried to deter him saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” John did indeed baptize Christ to fulfill Scriptures, however he was filled with humility and I would imagine a certain sense of awe when in the presence of his Savior. What does this mean to you? Not just a theoretical or theological answer but personally in your heart? How does your heart respond to Christ drawing near to you. A weighty thought to ponder indeed.