Reflection written and read by Carmen Nanko-Fernández, Professor of Hispanic Theology and Ministry

TEXT:

Those who know me might be surprised to learn that I am a fan of Project Runway, a reality show featuring aspiring fashion designers. As a theological educator, I appreciate the program’s creative challenges. They motivate participants to consider the interactions between textiles, contexts, resources, audiences, messaging, and the designers’ own talents, growing edges, and points of view.

With that in mind, I am drawn to the fashion forward description of John the Baptist in Mark’s gospel as “clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey” (1:6). Original audiences would have made a connection between John’s outfit and the prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), signifying the mantle of prophecy they shared. From the perspective of 21st century sensibilities, contemporary audiences may imagine John to be a man with expensive tastes, attired in sartorial elegance and dining on exotic delicacies.

This portrait contrasts sharply with the ascetic John that many of us have inherited, also influenced in part by interpretations of his clothing and diet. We tend to be more familiar with an image like the painting San Juan Bautista by the late 16th century artist El Greco. Gaunt, scantily clad in rough-hewn vesture, Juan confronts us from his wilderness. Beneath his cruciform staff, a lamb rests near his feet, alluding to the Baptist’s role as precursor to Jesus.

John’s fashion sense, however, may have been more practical than ascetical. For an itinerant preacher who spent time in the desert, a camel hair garment would have proven quite versatile. Known for its insulating properties, such raiment provided protection from the elements. Much like sarapes, they were multi-functional, serving as both apparel and blankets. At the very least, the details of John’s clothing indicate an adaptation to his place.

When it comes to food, in his investigation of honey in antiquity, biblical scholar James Kelhoffer offers a similar contextualization with respect to details mentioned in today’s gospel. The source of the wild honey—whether derived from bees or from fruit trees—does not matter. Kelhoffer suggests “the reference to John’s honey has more to do with where John was rather than what he ate…. John’s food is simply a reflection of what was plentiful in his midst: insects and uncultivated honey” (72).

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