In the last week or so, we have found ourselves surrounded by New Year sales in the shops and online. Amidst the sale signs, it’s obvious that we live in an age of logos. Whether it’s clothes, shoes, kitchenware, technology or even paint, logos are plastered all over the items which are for sale. Exclusive trademarks intend to make a statement about what we are or who we should aspire to be. Adverts and social media saturate us with the importance of upgrading our image and sharpening our identity.

In our Western culture the image we project is often defined by where we live, what we drive, the clothes we wear. Today’s church feast - the Baptism of Christ - challenges all of this posturing by reminding us loud and clear that our identity is as children of God and through baptism we enter into the body of Christ.

For the Jewish people of the Old Testament, ceremonial washing in rivers and pools was commonplace. It was an expression of a desire to turn one’s back on a murky past and make a fresh beginning with God. John the Baptist used baptism as a way to strengthen the resolve of those who heard him preach. Ceremonial washing in the Jordan marked a return to the Lord and a day to remember. Nevertheless, John was at pains to point out that the best was yet to come as they would soon be baptised not just with water, but also with the Holy Spirit.

The first glimpse we have of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel is as ‘one of the crowd’ at the river Jordan. The 30 years up to that point were preparations for this moment. Jesus had been living a private and obscure life in Nazareth whilst deepening his relationship with God. Baptism was to mark a significant turning point in his life. It was the start of his public ministry of service to God’s people. The baptism of Jesus marks God’s new way of relating to humanity through his son. As the heavens opened and the Spirit descended upon him, Jesus came to experience his true identity as God’s beloved son and glimpsed the life of ministry and service that lay ahead of him.

As we reflect upon Jesus’ baptism we can also reflect upon our own baptism and what it means to us. Baptism is not a magic charm or a rite of passage, it is a sacrament; a means by which God acts within our world and touches our life with grace. Through baptism we carry the identity of Christ within us and begin a lifelong process of sanctification, of being made holy. It is a pilgrimage that has its ups and downs, but it is a pilgrimage that strengthens our resolve and understanding of what it truly means to be part of the body of Christ.

Through our baptism, we are invited to continue the mission of Jesus. Our calling is to be Christ-like, to journey with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem, to assume his values, his attitudes, and to adopt his manner when dealing with each other.

This is a day to give thanks to God for the people who have shared their faith with us, who have walked with us and helped us to understand that we are precious in the eyes of God. At the same time, we should be asking ourselves whether we are living Christ-like lives, making a difference to others and to our community as a whole. Ask yourself this, does your life in Christ make a difference to those around you?

The only logo we need, the logo that others will judge us by, is the one placed on our forehead at baptism, the sign of the cross, the symbol for the Logos - the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord. Today is the day to reflect upon your baptism, give thanks for it and make a NewYear’s resolution to grow more and more into the likeness of Christ.

With every blessing,

Christian