Not long ago I had the special privilege of visiting the Jordan River from the Jordanian side. The Israeli side is crowded and filled with tourists. Because it takes time to cross the border into Jordan, fewer tourists travel there, so the Jordanian side is quiet. You walk down a wooded path, past an archeological excavation of an old church on the site, and through even more woods to get to where the Jordan River flows. It was easy to imagine John the Baptist preaching in this wilderness.

The Jordan River is not terribly close to Jerusalem. People who came there to be baptized by John had to travel a long way on foot. John’s message of repentance was so welcomed, however, they were willing to make the trip.

Fortunately, repentance does not have to be such a long journey. It can be a daily practice, as simple as examining how we lived yesterday, choosing how we hope to live today, and asking God to help us and make us new.

By Grace Burton-Edwards from D365