Phil Wyman: Dim Saesneg

Advent December 15th: Saint Drostan’s Day
Luke 1:76-79
We are Supporters of Another’s Vision

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

John the Baptist would become the greatest of the prophets, according to the words of Jesus. His entire ministry was comprised of two things: leading the people to repentance of sin, and pointing the way to the Messiah. The call to repentance was actually a preparation for the coming of the Messiah, so John’s ministry was in totality a support for the coming of Christ. The missionally minded person will realize that all ministry is support for someone else’s dreams. Even the dreams of the most visionary leaders need to make room for the dreams of others. The larger the leader, the more the vision needs to encompass the dreams of other people. Any vision unable to include others’ hopes and passions in its scope is too small a vision. This is why Jesus describes a leader as the servant of all. This is why the first shall be last, and those who would lead must serve.

Today, December 15th is Saint Drostan’s Day. Saint Drostan was from the Royal family of Scoti. At an early age he was placed under the tutelage of Columba, and is listed as one of the twelve companions sailing with Columba from Ireland to Scotland. Traveling with Columba, he would become founder of the monastery at Old Deer (Deir), and later become the Abbot of Dalquhongale.

Prayer: Lord, help me to realize that my life is not about me, but about You, and about others. Like John the Baptist, who prepared the way for your coming, and like Saint Drostan who supported the work of Columba, cause me to step down from my haughty position of self-crowning, and crown others with the royalty due them, by serving them, and helping them accomplish their dreams. Cause my dreams to become large enough to include the dreams of those around me.