To what do we point?

     This Sunday we celebrate John the Baptist Sunday, remembering the man who from his conception to death pointed to Christ.  In our gospels we mostly hear about a wild man of sorts, who wore leather, camel fur, and ate locusts.  He lived in the wilderness where people came to be baptized by him in the river.  His words were always pointing to "the one who comes after" him, Jesus.  It is from John we get the words for the "Lamb of God", the song sung during Holy Communion.  It is from John's life that many artists were inspired to paint, compose, and sculpt works of art, many of which have been compiled into John the Baptist (Renaissance Art) which you can view.  It is from John we have the example of how to humbly point to Christ while engaging in meaningful and important ministry.  Which is why we take a Sunday to celebrate his life and ministry.  As we come to the brightest day of the year, we remember Christ, the light of the world, born into our darkness, and how we, like John, are called to relentlessly point to him.
     Even on this Sunday to remember John the Baptist our gospel reading points 100% toward Christ.  It is the naming and song of praise from Zachariah, John's father, from Luke 1.  The reading isn't about John at all, but rather about the goodness of the Lord God.  A song sung by a father who has been mute for the duration of his wife's pregnancy because he didn't believe and who has suddenly been given the gift of speech does not give thanks for his son, for his voice, but gives thanks for the salvation God has given all people.  There is but one verse dedicated to John in his father's prophecy:
"And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
   for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
   by the forgiveness of their sins."
It is a beautiful canticle, and we will hear on Sunday a song inspired by Zachariah's words.  In reading the words about John, however, I wonder how people hear them?  How do people hear that knowledge of salvation comes by the forgiveness of sins?  What does forgiveness of sins even mean?  Our world view has so drastically changed from the time of Zachariah and John.  In their world view, sin was the cause of everything.  If you were ill it was because you sinned.  If you lost your job it was because you sinned.  If someone you loved died it was either because they or you sinned.  If you prospered it was because you lived without sin.  If you got a raise it was because you lived as you were supposed to. 
     Our worldview has changed a bit since then.  We don't talk about sin and righteousness as the cause of everything that happens.  We have left much to science and rational thought so that talk about forgiveness of sins has come to mean less and less in our world today.  My question is, how then do we talk about salvation?  What language can we use to describe the wonderful gifts God has given us?  Forgiveness of sins is not something the average US citizen thinks they need.  What then?
     As we look to and remember John the Baptist, I think we are also called to rethink how the church continues to point to the light of Christ in an ever darkening world.  The church is becoming irrelevant to many and my suspicions are that is because we have failed to change our language, thinking, and way of being so that people care.  This is the ever important mystery for us as a church: how can we continue to point to Christ in ways that are relevant, timely, and true to our faith?