There is an ancient custom among Orthodox Christians that on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord the bishop of the local Church goes in procession to a nearby Lake. He is followed by hundreds of young men in the community. After a series of ancient prayers commemorating the Lord’s own baptism in the waters of the Jordan, he flings a golden cross into the water and the young men, poised on boats in water, dive in to catch it. Tradition has it that the young man who retrieves the cross will experience God’s special blessing and good fortune all the days of his life.
While some may view this as religious superstition, in a recent New York Times article about this custom celebrated in a Greek Orthodox community in Florida, several men who in their youth retrieved the cross spoke of how God had indeed blessed them in a special way in their lives. One man said that he had been a bus driver for 40 years before retirement and never once had an accident. Another spoke of being unusually successful in his business ventures. While yet another spoke of the grace of a strong marriage and family life over the years. The young 16 year old boy who that day had successfully endured water temperature in the mid 50's to capture the prized cross, emerged from the water clutching the cross and repeating to all those who stood around him cheering, “This is the most important day in my life!”
My brothers and sisters, the skeptics among us may view such a quaint tradition as a pious hold over from a rather unsophisticated and simple culture. Yet, behind this tradition lies a profound truth for all of us who have passed through the waters of baptism - either as an infant or later in life perhaps as an adult convert to the Christian faith. Like that young man clutching the cross and proclaiming, “This is the most important day in my life!” - so also for each one of us. The day of our baptism was the most important day in our life. For on that day, we were gifted with a reality far more precious than a gold cross. On that day, an irrevocable relationship was forged between us and the Lord. The relationship between creator and created begin at our birth now takes on a radical new dimension as we become daughters and sons of the Father, and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. As important as our human families are to each of us, in baptism we become members of the household of the Lord, part of God’s family entrusted with a mission in this world and an eternal destiny in the world to come.
Just as the Lord’s own baptism marked the beginning of his ministry of proclaiming God’s reign, so too for each one of us. While our theology of baptism rightly teaches that baptism frees us from being forever victimized and enslaved by sin, it is equally important for us to remember that, that freedom is for something. It is for living the life of faith and putting on the mind of Christ - living his values, making the choices in life that he would make - treating others as he would treat them. It is for learning to listen to the voice of the Lord in our own lives, a voice calling us to move beyond being passive participants in the drama of human existence, to making a difference in our families, in our relationships with friends and coworkers, in our willingness to speak and live the values that Jesus lived and died for.
My brothers and sisters, each time we gather for eucharist but especially on this Feast of the Lord’s Baptism, we have the opportunity to renew the commitment that was made at our own baptism. However, for our baptism to truly be the greatest day in our life, there comes a moment for each of us when we must make that faith our own. It cannot be merely the faith of parents, or spouse, or friend - it must in time become our personal surrender to the transforming power of the Lord in our lives, as well as our personal commitment to the new life of grace that is ours in Christ. Let us pray for the courage to live the new life that is ours as brothers and sisters of the Lord.