It was in 1907, that Baden-Powell, an English soldier, devised the Scout motto: Be Prepared. He published it in Scouting for Boys in 1908. And, two years later, in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America was founded.
In Scouting for Boys, Baden-Powell wrote that to Be Prepared means “you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty.”More than a century later, preparedness is still a cornerstone of Scouting. Through its fun, values-based program, Scouting prepares young people for life. But it is the Advent calling as well. We must always be in a state of readiness in mind and body for the coming of Christ.
Saint Peter encourages us, "You should remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles." When we engage in the Scriptures daily, we galvanize our memory of God's Word and more consistently live it out each day.
So, we are asked to pay attention to what it is that masters you. Saint Peter criticizes those false teachers for promising freedom while being "slaves of corruption" and then he makes a poignant statement: "People are slaves to whatever masters them." As we move through the Advent season, that's a great question to ponder: What is it that masters us? To what have we become a slave? Is it money, sex, power or something else? As Bob Dylan once sang, "It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody." Who are you serving?
