What then shall we do?
Last Saturday, Simone, Hasani and their two daughters took Sandee and me to brunch at this spectacular restaurant on the 32nd floor of the Shard, that iconic building in the heart of London, to celebrate our 46th wedding anniversary. As I looked down on London and the Thames, seeing toy sized trains, buses and boats I thought of the enormity of the task to coordinate and communicate with all these moving people and vehicles.
Then when I listened to this week’s Gospel being read, in church, Luke 3: 10-18 ‘The crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?”… the question being repeated by tax collectors and soldiers, I remembered the sight of London from above. Every person and every group are asking that same question ‘What then shall we do?’
It struck me that John the Baptist’s response in the Gospel was both simple and profound—calling each person to integrity and generosity within their own sphere of life. I thought about the countless roles people play daily: train operators ensuring commuters get to work, public servants attending to the people, health care workers tending to patients, shopkeepers serving customers, parents guiding children, and even strangers crossing each other’s paths.
John’s message reminds each of us, that transformation begins with the small, deliberate choices we make. It is in the small acts of integrity, courtesy and generosity we are each invited to bring God’s love into the intricate rhythm of human life, one action at a time.
Despite the complexity of the modern world and the seemingly overwhelming nature of its demands, John’s words remind us that living faithfully is not about grand gestures or solving every problem at once. Instead, it is about recognizing the sacred in the ordinary, the divine in our daily interactions.
Whether it’s through a kind word, an honest deed, or an act of selflessness, we are called to be beacons of God’s love in our unique roles and circumstances. Each small act of goodness ripples outward, contributing to the transformation of the world one heart at a time.
This week’s Gospel reminds us that it is not big projects or grand pronouncements that build the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth but the quality of our daily human interactions. The way we listen to one another, offer a kind word, extend forgiveness, and share our time with those in need reflects the love of God in simple yet profound ways.
May you be blessed with grace and courage as we prepare our hearts and lives for the coming of the Lord.