St. John the Baptist: the Bible's wild man

By Jim Davis - Florida Catholic

Photography: JIM DAVIS | FC

FORT LAUDERDALE | He ate locusts, dressed in camel hair and lived in the wilderness. He ranted at peasants, rulers and religious leaders alike. His loud mouth got him jailed, then killed.

Yet St. John the Baptist, whose feast day is June 24, is honored for his courage and foresight, as a prophet who recognized Jesus as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."

John, whose story is told in all four gospels, was a cousin of Jesus; his mother, Elizabeth, was Mary's cousin. As with Jesus, his birth was foretold by the angel Gabriel. While Jesus traveled, taught and healed, however, John preached explosively about judgment.

"You brood of vipers! Who told you to flee the wrath to come?" John thundered at his listeners. He then baptized the repentant in the Jordan River as a sign of their new life.

John also foretold the coming of a great leader. "I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit," he said. He was therefore reluctant when Jesus himself came to be baptized.

"I need you to baptize me," John said, but he complied and did the ritual for Jesus. He later bore witness that a dove settled onto Jesus as a voice from heaven declared him "my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

John's righteous rage, however, was not spent: He denounced King Herod for marrying his half-brother's wife, prompting Herod to cast him into a dungeon. Herod's wife then nudged her daughter to dance for the king, who vowed to give her whatever she asked. To his horror, the girl requested — and received — John's head.

By then, many of John's disciples had left to follow Jesus, with John's encouragement. "He must increase; I must decrease."

In Fort Lauderdale, the parish that bears John's name was founded in 1969 by Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll. The 400 families first met at Cardinal Gibbons High School. But within two years, they dedicated their own house of worship on adjacent land.

The 1,000-seat structure resembles a large house with a glazed tile roof, fitting in with its suburban residential neighborhood. Inside, the nave is finished with exposed beams, with walls of wood panel and pine log stone.

Dominating the eastern gable is a faceted-glass window 66 feet wide, showing John baptizing Jesus. In the other direction, overlooking the chancel area, is a stone wall with a crucifix, on which the figure of Jesus stretches his hands in welcome. The crucifix therefore combines images of his death and resurrection.

Along the walls, 38 smaller windows depict the sacraments, the evangelists and mysteries of the rosary. The church tabernacle is lined with wood-carved panels from both testaments.