Message: You Are The Beloved / Mark 1:9-11 & Genesis 1:1-5

All humans come into the world through water. The baby develops in a special liquid called amniotic fluid inside the mother's womb. This fluid is similar to seawater and contains the nutrients the baby needs. It also protects the baby by minimizing the effects of gravity and external bumps. In this watery environment, the baby receives nutrients from the food the mother eats, shares the mother’s feelings, and hears the mother’s voice. When the time comes, the protective water breaks and the baby emerges from the mom’s belly.

When babies are born, they cry for a few reasons. The first is the need for air. Crying helps the baby to take in oxygen into its lungs for the first time. The second is empathy. Babies feel their mother's emotions through the umbilical cord, and when they are born, they express the pain of their mother's labour by crying. The third is light. When a baby suddenly encounters light in the outside world, it can be shocking. The unfamiliar surroundings make the baby feel anxious and lonely.

Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), a famous medieval physician, composer, and spiritual leader, described the moment when a baby is born like this: "After the child has come forth, it immediately utters a wailing sound because it feels the darkness of the world" (Causae et Curae, p. 66). She believed that when babies face this unfamiliar and challenging situation, they begin to learn the meaning of evil.

We tend to see the uncomfortable and inevitable changes we go through as "evil." However, these changes are the foundation that helps us become better. Babies cry for air, empathy, and light when they come into the world, but those are essential things that contribute to their lives and growth.

When a baby cries immediately after birth, it is the mom's voice that comforts the baby. Many studies have proven that newborns can identify their mother's voice, even when hearing someone with a similar accent, pitch, and tone.  When they hear their mother's voice, even in challenging situations, they feel a sense of security and peace. A mother's voice gives her baby courage and hope to face unfamiliar and difficult circumstances.

Today is Baptism of Jesus Sunday. Mark does not record Jesus' birth or childhood. Instead, the Gospel of Mark begins the story of Jesus' life at the moment when he was baptized. It shows that Mark considered Jesus' baptism a crucial event in Jesus' ministry.

In Jesus' time, people faced oppression from those in power. The death of John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus, reflects the unjust situation during that period. He spoke out against the Regional Governor, Herod, for unlawfully marrying his brother's wife, for which he was imprisoned and eventually executed. The mistreatment of John the Baptist, who had the respect and support of many, gives us a glimpse of how unreasonably and unfairly ordinary people were treated at that time.

In this context, people back then were like sheep without a shepherd – lost and wandering. Trapped in a hopeless reality, they were experiencing pain and depression. During this time, John the Baptist called people to the Jordan River so they could experience new hope through baptism. The Jordan River symbolizes new beginnings. A long time ago, after spending 40 years in the wilderness following their liberation from Egyptian oppression, the Hebrews first entered the Promised Land as they crossed the Jordan River.

Mark begins the life of Jesus at this very Jordan River. Jesus was baptized with water by John and with the Holy Spirit by God. When Jesus came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove on him, and he heard a voice from heaven, saying, "You are my child, the Beloved; with you, I am well pleased."

Today's first Scripture reading is from the very beginning of the Bible. According to the text, when God created the world, it was filled with darkness, chaos, and emptiness. But that wasn't the end of it. Even in the midst of it all, the Spirit of God was hovering over it. And when the time came, God created the world with the Word. The darkness, chaos, and emptiness were transformed into light, harmony, and beauty by God's voice.

Before creation, after creation, when we were born, when we were children, and right now, the Holy Spirit always hovers over us like a dove.  Baptism is the ritual that affirms that we are born to be loved. It is a celebration of crossing the Jordan River toward a new heaven and a new earth, with the assurance that we are God's beloved children.

With the assurance of God’s love and care, Jesus transformed the darkness, chaos, and emptiness of the world into light, harmony, and beauty. He planted hope where there was despair, love where there was apathy, and faith where there was distrust. Jesus never stopped his work until all people realized and experienced that they were beloved children of God. Through his ministry and teachings, he sought to convince them of God's unconditional love for them. Even as he was dying on the cross, Jesus asked God to forgive those who mocked, whipped, and crucified him, saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).

When the world feels unfamiliar to you, seems to be changing too quickly, and looks full of evil, remember: God is hovering above the world and watching over you. When you feel lonely, hopeless, and confused, remember: just as a mother is with her newborn baby, God is with you, calling you by your name.

There is no greater blessing or reward on our faith journey than this: To know that we are God's beloved children. I am God's beloved child, and God is well pleased with me. You are God's beloved child, and God is well pleased with you. We are God's beloved children, and God is well pleased with us. May this assurance be seeds of faith, hope, and love in our congregation and the world.

Rev. Min Hwang

South Stormont Pastoral Charge

Baptism of the Lord Sunday