A person quoting from the tradition of Isaiah delivers the majestic passages in today’s Gospel. The message breaks into history, quoted by a preacher, John the Baptist, who is himself “one crying in the wilderness.” How does it sound to you? Is it a message of hope? Does the phrase, Every valley shall be filled,…

The lessons and Gospel for today all reflect the totally unique character of our faith among human religions in the way in which it is constantly tied to specific times and places and people in history. Here as we begin the church year, we not only have Baruch’s prophecy of a very concrete return to…