Get in the Know

The minute we stop asking questions, we are washed up.

John the Baptist is an unusual, powerful, charismatic and fearless figure. Naturally, the people are inquisitive:

All the people asked John, ‘What must we do?’ (Luke 3).

John tells us something most important. Forget about superficial change; focus on integrity in what you are currently doing:

Share your possessions, be just, truthful and honest in your work, be grateful, and for God’s sake, don’t manipulate or intimidate people.

By asking questions of God, we get answers in and through our conscience. This is precisely what John the Baptist is appealing to – our conscience:

Deep within our conscience we discover a law which we have not laid upon ourselves, but which we must obey.

Its voice, ever calling us to love, and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in our hearts at the right moment (CCC 1776).

Since our ‘conscience is our most secret core and our sanctuary,’ we must form it continually and obey it, through prayer and faith-reading, faith-podcasts, mixing with faith-friends, etc.

The word conscience actually means ‘with-knowledge’:

So, we have a grave obligation to ‘get in the know.’

Amen.