Generational hope
Gospel: Lk 1:57-66
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122323.cfm
John’s birth was quite different than that of Jesus. John was surrounded by friends and family who celebrated the birth and circumcision and shared the good news throughout the hill country of Judea. Jesus, on the other hand, was born in a manager in a town away from home that did not have room for his parents for regular accommodations. They were visited by angels and shepherds. Jesus’s circumcision and naming were kept simple as well, whereas John’s were quite the production.
Their parents were both told what names they were to be given by an angel. In the case of John, there was more drama around the name. Zachariah, his dad, was mute until the name was given at his circumcision. The friends and family wanted to name the baby Zachariah after his dad, but John’s parents followed the guidance of the angel.
So what’s in a name? Zachariah was the name of a Jewish prophet. As we know John was to prepare the way for the Lord and was going to be a prophet himself. Zachariah means “God remembers” and John means “Gift of God” or “Grace of God.” Having these two names together reassures both how God keeps and delivers promises. God both looks backward and forward. Zachariah was grounded in faith and tradition. Zachariah was foundational to what was to come next, and John was a hope for the future. There was to be a new era to come, and John would be an instrumental part of that future.
There are a lot of generational struggles today. We talk a lot about the shortcomings of different generations. Older generations look at younger generations as if mistakes have been made given their change of perspective. Younger generations look at older generations as if they are archaic and have lost sight of the times. These stories during the time of Advent show us that each generation plays its part in human history. Each generation builds upon the last. Think of how times have changed since the time these gospel stories occurred. We have had social, economic, political, and spiritual shifts for over 2000 years. There have been times in human history when we’ve taken steps backward and other times when we’ve taken leaps forward in moving humanity toward the kingdom of God.
In today’s gospel, the friends, family, and neighbors celebrated the birth of John. They were in such awe of the events surrounding his birth that they shared the news around the countryside. They had hope for the next generation. A hope that they would help make a better world for future generations. Instead of condemning the next generation, let’s look for hope in them. Let’s listen to them with an open mind. Let us share our stories from our experience knowing that they are not static but are dynamic parts of a journey. We do not need to take the names of our parents as our children do not need to take our names.
