Saint John the Baptist crossed a line between religion and politics when he spoke against the immoral actions of Herod Antipas. He spoke about justice, and against the mindset of a king who exploited people – whether it was the people he governed, or members of his own family. John was courageous, and for that, he was put into prison, and ultimately executed.

We too are to be courageous, at a time when our society has again separated religion and politics. The separation of Church and state in America has been a good policy because it has allowed our citizens the freedom of belief and expression that is required for honesty and justice. But religion and government must be in dialogue to maintain the same virtues of honesty and justice. And the Church is usually the culprit for not speaking the truth courageously. There were many scribes, temple priests and Pharisees who were afraid to speak truth to the king – unlike John the Baptist.

Dr. Martin Luther King was a figure like John the Baptist, in that he was a voice crying out in the wilderness of prejudice and hate. In 1967, he said these words in a Cincinnati church:

The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.