Repairing The Breach

The story of Israel begins not in the Promised Land, but in a place of affliction, a place of toil and hardship. The story of Christianity begins not in a cathedral, not in a setting of grand architecture and uplifting music, but, rather, in the wilderness. The story of Christianity begins with an outsider called John, crying out in a desert place. Here, in a windswept tundra, lies the birthplace of Christianity. In this place are no Anglicans, no Catholics, no Orthodox, no Pentecostals. There are no masses or motets or musical masterpieces. No priests, bishops, or archbishops. There is, indeed, not a creed, a statement of belief, or a mission statement. There is not even a Bible as we know it. There is no institution, no budgets, no OH&S policies, no risk management. Contrary to all sound management practice, there is no corporate image, no business plan, or marketing strategy. Rather, we encounter a very odd John the Baptist wearing very odd clothes eating a very odd diet in an out of the way place, announcing the arrival of someone, who at that point, is completely unknown to human history, a carpenter from Nazareth called Jesus. In the Gospel of Mark, a voice speaks when Jesus encounters John: “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you am I well pleased.” But in Luke, we are simply told: “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.” He was famished . Hardly an auspicious start to a religion that ostensibly offers wellbeing, welcome and wholeness. 28