Sitting on the steps at the entrance of a mall, John the Baptist came to me.

It's a metaphor. I didn't encounter any strange - looking, Tarzan - like figure of a man speaking words of salvation unto me. I just thought of how John would look like in our modern society.

John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Source unknown.

I was waiting for my turn at the booth for the renewal of my NBI clearance. NBI stands for National Bureau of Investigation. It is a government office that holds records of suspected and convicted criminals in the country. Every Filipino citizen needs their records cleared from this office before they can be employed. So it is not surprising to see plenty of people crowding here every day.

So I sat there for about twenty minutes. It could have been more than that actually. I couldn't tell. I didn't wan't to look at my watch to check the time because it will only bring me frustration. I was just glad I had read the bible beforehand. The Word of the day which is patience really helped me keep my cool.

I have already worn my eyes out from reading. I always love to carry a book whenever I need to go somewhere. It helps me pass the time. But my eyes were already tired. So I decided to rest awhile and digest what I have just read. 

As I sat there on the steps of the mall, I noticed the unique variety of people's faces as they pass by. I also remembered another book I read. It was about a certain street preacher in the United States. Then it dawned unto me. 

He could be anybody. Any one can be like John the Baptist in our modern society. I could be like John the Baptist to another person just as another person can be like John the Baptist to me. A phrase ran through my mind - the ordinary doing the extraordinary. God calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things.