Sacred Heart Church,
Ferrybank  

There was a big crowd down by the Jordan River .  What was happening?  Something exciting?  The children wriggled to the front to see.  But all they saw was one man talking to another very strange man.  He wore a tunic of camel hair with a leather belt around his middle.  That’s John one of the grown-ups said, Zechariah and Elizabeth ’s boy, he’s come from the desert.  He lives there now, it’s a lonely scary place, and there’s not much food there.  He eats locust and wild honey form the bees.  

John was speaking loud and fierce.  “make way, make way, for your promised king, he’s coming soon, so get ready. 

“What must we do?”

“you must stop being greedy” John said “and share, and stop doing bad things”.  “God has told us the best way to live, so do that”, he said.  “Then you’ll be ready for the King” The grown up’s all looked ashamed, “we have been greedy and done bad things, but were sorry, really truly sorry.”  “Well then follow me” said John and he walked right out into the river.  One by one they followed him into the water, they wanted to get rid of all the bad things they had done. 

Then John said “God knows that you are really, really sorry, he has forgiven you and washed you really clean inside and out.  Go home now and live as God wants.  And then you will be ready for God’s King.