A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” – Luke 3: 6

John probably seemed like a nobody. In fact, he was the first to tell people that he was unimportant, compared to the one who was to come. But to the people of his time, was just a rag-wearing lunatic who ate bugs and screamed at anyone who would listen. Yet his emphatic message was absolutely real, and he was speaking to everyone, including you and me, here today.

Repentance is hard. Change is hard.

But that voice crying in the wilderness is persistent, and it speaks to us,
reminding us that we do not know the day or the hour.