I got
baptized when I turned 14 after a full year of discipleship training. When I
decided that I wanted to be baptized, hell broke loose at my local church. I
guess this happened because I was not quite talkative and I was always minding
my own business. Neither did I interact with young people nor did I talk about
my personal life so those who did not have a genuine relationship with me were
curious and started asking weird questions like: Do you want to be a priest? Do
you want to become a pastor? Let’s say
that in Latin American culture if you are a private person people kinda dislike
that.
I got baptized but before and during the
process, I freaked out. I was there, in front of everyone inside of a tiny
baptistery. What made me feel awkward were the number of people looking at me.
I do understand it is a public event in which you tell your fellow churchgoers
that you want to be a voting member; however, being in the public eye made me
think about whether people do it because of social pressure or because they
really want to participate. In my case, it was part of a commitment. It is a
personal decision.
I had to wear a white robe and thongs (an
institution in Chile), therefore, since the very beginning the whole process
was, somehow, special. Additionally, due to the fact I was raised in a Baptist
family, some people argued that my process was just a logical step, or
something I was meant to do, sooner or later. Those remarks notwithstanding, I
must say that I did it because I felt I had to obey God’s command to be part of
his people.
Was obedience an element of your
baptism? Is it an element of your faith now? Is there an area of life where you
are not following God’s will for you? Tell God about it, and seek God’s help to
do God’s will with a glad and joyful heart.
Reflection by Francisco Naranjo, South Yarra Community Baptist Church, 29 January 2016.
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