Filled with Expectation

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’  So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, added to them all by shutting up John in prison.
 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’Luke 3:15-22 

Filled with Expectation

The people gathered round
held their breath is expectation
hoping God would be revelaed
and love them as they are.

These simple folk who suffered much
saw hope dawning in their lives
walked down to the water
they were not disappointed.

The sound of God's voice
the presence of a snow white dove
the hair rising on every arm
love has come into the world.

Incarnate, and very human
love mingled with the least
the broken and the lost
shared the same bowl with God.

In every generation we are filled
with hope and expectation
and let the hurts we suffer
be signs of God's indifference.

God in here with us
rising from the water's banks
deeply embedded with us
in our world of dust and shame.

God is living with us
drawing us from our sinking
pulling us through the surf
to new life under this sun.