Richard Mallory

Baptism
by Steve Garnaas-Holmes

You lift off the helmet of knowing,
gently drop it.
You take off the armor of being right.
Unbuckle the chain mail of good enough—
lift it over your head, 
with a little awkward squirming to get it off, 
it’s so tight. 
You unbutton the coat of deserving,
untie the padding of what people thought,
remove the vest of good intentions, the shirt of the past.
You lose even the underwear of should have, couldn’t.
You drop it all. Leave it.

You wear nothing but pure air of presence, 
vulnerable skin, raw flesh of being,
ready as a newborn.

You go down into the water,

and are raised up, clothed in pure light.

Dear Friends of Christ,

Today’s gospel is the baptism of Jesus. The question of that baptism’s purpose arises and there are no clear answers. This is one of those stories that invites imagination and wondering. Why in the world does Jesus Christ need baptism for forgiveness of sin?

Since keepers of oral tradition along with scribes kept this story speaks of its historicity.  Those who only wanted a divine Christ might have censored this story making it into the  canon. His baptism points us towards his humanity. He like us needed this experience, this marker, this ritual denoting a new beginning.

The poem speaks of ongoing “baptism” throughout life with the necessity of unloading, letting go and letting down.

Pastor-poet Steve gets specific with what is to be relinquished. 1. Being certain and right. 2. Being self-satisfied and having it all figured out. 3. Living in ongoing self congratulations with oneself. 4. All of those self-judgments that begin with “You should have….”

The goal is vulnerability, the only space where God can meet us and co-exist with us. Even self-judgments and especially self-judgments become egoic protections. There is a temptation to know better than God.

I am reminded of one of Richard Rohr’s quips: “The spiritual life is marked more by subtractions than additions.”

Your fellow traveler,

—Richard