WORKING WITH THE SCRIPTURES

Jan. 10, 2010 (Lk.3:15-16, 21-22)

Every office, every shop and every business enterprise has one. He or she is the person that everyone depends on, even though most folks may not even know they exist. Maybe it's the maintenance man - the one who makes sure that all of the lights are working, that there's plenty of salt available for the sidewalks in icy weather, and that the heat and air conditioning are set to the right temperature for the right time of year. His office is generally out of sight in the back of the plant or in the basement but while most employees may never see him they certainly notice when he's NOT there.

Or maybe it's the secretary - the one who answers the phone with a smile and assures a good first impression when customers or clients come in the front door. The first one in every morning and the last one out at night, she's the one who keeps the copier working, the coffee flowing, and the office calendar coordinated and up to date.

Or maybe it's the cleaning crew - those folks who come in at night to empty wastebaskets, vacuum offices and clean the bathrooms. Most employees never see these folks at all but the work environment would be a lot less inviting - not to mention less healthy - without them.

It can be easy to ignore the behind-the-scenes people, the people who prepare the way for those who will come after them. But the doctor could not function without the preliminary information gathered by the nurse; the lawyer could not try a case without the paralegal's research; and the president of the company could not conduct a meeting without the availability of a clean, comfortable and well-equipped office or conference room. Yet it is generally accepted that the behind-the-scenes jobs will be performed with little or no recognition given to those who perform them.

John the Baptist knew who he was in relation to the one who would come after him. His job was only to prepare the way for Jesus. But how different things might have been had he not been there…

-Vinal Van Benthem