Jesus’s Birth Has Profound Political Consequences
John’s proclamation of Christ is political as well as spiritual. To announce God’s Kingdom is to put every earthly power — including our own — under judgment.
Letters from Leo offers daily Advent reflections each morning through Christmas exclusively for paid subscribers, exploring what it means to follow Jesus in American civic and political life. I hope you’ll journey with me as we welcome the light of Christ into every corner of our lives this season.
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“John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’” — Matthew 3:1-2
On this Second Sunday of Advent, John the Baptist strides onto the stage with a jarring presence. His hair is wild and his beard unkempt; he survives on locusts and wild honey in the desert.
He’s not the kind of preacher we might expect — not polished or respectable by society’s standards — yet he is the very messenger God chooses to herald the Messiah.
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