In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Mark 1:9 As seminarian one of my duties was teaching the confirmation class. On communion Sunday it was the pastor's practice to lay his hand on the shoulder of a confirmand and say a brief blessing instead of serving the elements. The pastor came to one confirmand, placed bread in his hand, realized the youth hadn't been confirmed, and took the bread back. Something didn't seem right with that action. That was followed by a professor who said that confirmation is a ritual in search of a meaning. This was also the beginning of my journey in understanding Christian baptism. That journey led to the following conclusions: Christian baptism by water and the Spirit is a commitment to following Jesus manifesto of the Great Commandment, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and healing the sick. It is a commitment to resisting evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they...