John the Baptist: Not pretty and polite

This week's column ain't gonna be nice, maybe not even grammatically correct. The context for this antagonistic reference is set up by our good friend John the Baptist. We prefer Santa Claus, jolly, pleasingly plump, and friend of elves who get all the dirty work done. Instead we get stuck with John the Baptist, who is a real pain in the behind

In Sunday's Gospel, a few folk make the mistake of asking John the Baptist what they should do, and he has the gall to answer them in public With the truth, no less Didn't his parents teach him any better? What ever happened to compassion, respect for public dignity?

John the Baptist reminds us that while spiritual people are interesting, they are not necessarily nice. They stand on soapboxes and rant about their pet subject. In addition, they usually dress weird. Fully spiritual humans have hard edges, they are unafraid of righteous tantrums and willing to pay whatever price for them. Christmas is a celebration of the BIGNESS, the absolutely overwhelming HUGENESS of life. People living such a gift are not boring, wimpy, soft or formless.

Humans who live their full range really interest me. The ones who make big mistakes because they dare to try something new. The ones with lots of stories. The ones who live according to their values, but aren't rigidly locked into them when a greater wisdom comes around. They are beautifully, wonderfully, delightfully alive. They are Advent people walking in the steps of John the Baptist. They understand what St. Paul means when he asks us to "Rejoice" because they have felt and tasted what rejoicing is. When they proclaim these readings, you don't miss the symphony in their voices. When did we start equating spiritual growth with becoming so ethereal that we no longer revel in food, laughing, reading fiction or admitting to sexual attraction?

Call to mind the most interesting, most evolved people you know. Is it Auntie Em? Uncle Zachary? Perhaps it is a priest or a college professor. Unfortunately, many parents think disciplining their children means beating this spirit-spark out of them in the name of civilization. Is there a wee bit of jealousy in the move?

Christmas is an ideal time to reclaim some of your verve and aliveness. But it is going to take practice. Seek out family support. Work as a team. Dare to have family relationships so real and important that they contain big messy emotions. Deep living isn't tidy. Here are some suggestions.

1. Practice laughing as a spiritual exercise. Take this cue from Santa Claus. If you are reading this in a private spot - try it now Practice laughing until it is so easy you do it 40 times a day. Look for opportunities to laugh. Long check-out lines in toy stores. I laugh with my dog on our evening walks. Laugh while you are walking the halls at Fox River Mall. If you are having problems ask a child. If you don't have one, ask for a loaner.

2. Double your weirdness. That will sound excessively harsh only to adults. Get with it. We are in a season in which our primary spokesman is a heavy set man who walks around in red pajamas and rides with flying reindeer Put a strange message on your answering machine. Eat lasagne for breakfast. Read a book you completely disagree with. Write a poem (especially if you are not a poet) and leave it on someone's voice mail. Sing like Pavoratti in your car. Walk backwards to work. If you need help approach a teen at the mall who has pierced body parts and ask for advice. Consult John the Baptist. Enjoy the freedom of being weird. It is such a relief.

3. Read a different Christmas story aloud everyday. There are gobs of great ones. "Martin the Cobbler" by Leo Tolstoy, "Red Ranger Come Calling" by Berkley Breathed, "A Christmas Memory" by Truman Capote, "The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey" by Susan Wojciehowski, "Elijah's Angel" by Michael Rosen, "The Cobweb Christmas" by Shirley Climo, "The Beautiful Christmas Tree" by Charlotte Zolotow, "The Christmas Candle" by Richard Paul Evans, "The Bakers Dozen" by Aaron Shepard, "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsberg. Enjoy each story. Relish the words. Consider each day and each story a step toward better understanding the Christmas story.

I want to shake magic aliveness dust on everyone, just to see what it is like when we all show up without fears, fully alive with all our gifts and talents boldly showing. If your spiritual path is narrowing your range of life, it is not of God. Only that which allows us to be the wild and free and glowing creatures we are is of God.

(Rinkoski is the Green Bay Diocese's Family Life director. His e-mail address is trinkoski@gbdioc.org.)