 that I as a lay person would not. Okay, let's pause there. Well, no, as to the first objection, St. John the Baptist was not a political figure. His ministry had political implications, but he himself was not a political figure. In Matthew chapter 3, where we begin reading about St. John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea, he was preaching in preparation for the arrival of Jesus. Repent, he says, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.