Advent Reflection: Isaiah 40
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together." (Isaiah 40:3-5) When John the Baptist explained his role he quoted Isaiah 40. John was clear in his role as pointer, decreaser and preparer of the way. He was the “voice” calling in the wilderness, proclaiming the news that the King was coming. And he was the manager for a great highway project that prepared his way. It’s awesome to see ancient marble roads in Ephesus, Rome, Beth Shean and Athens. But between the ancient cities, the the trade routes or “wagon roads” were sometimes impassable. There is recorded the story of a vassal king who complained to the king of Mari that he had to arrive at the Syrian capital by a roundabout ...