This Sunday we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord. It reminds us of our own baptism, which tells the story that we are chosen by God, cleansed, marked, and sealed, belonging the a community of faith. The surprising part is that the power of God, the one we belong with, is not because God has the biggest guns. God is the one with the quiet voice, the quiet voice that never stops speaking wholeness into being. In fact, when Jesus got angry was when people tried to keep other people from approaching the kingdom of God: like when he cleansed the temple of mercenaries making a buck from the poor people; when he got scolded for healing on the Sabbath; when the disciples tried to make the children leave. God has already accepted you as part of God's family. That's the surprising twist!
