The Kickstarter for Blood of the Baptist describes St. John the Baptist as an “extreme radical” and “one of the world’s greatest original rebels.” Can you speak to these characteristics and why this specific story was one you wanted to tell?
John the Baptist was something of a rock star in his day. He attracted enormous crowds, challenged the powerful, and inspired a movement. Yet despite his extraordinary influence, he possessed the humility to declare of Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
What fascinates me most, however, is the apparent scandal of his fate. Here was a man preparing the way for the Messiah, only to find himself imprisoned while Jesus was out performing miracles, healing the sick, and dining with sinners. Yet Jesus never came to rescue him. Imagine how bewildering that must have seemed at the time!
Of course, we now understand that Jesus would ultimately endure an even greater suffering and sacrifice. But exploring that tension, and the extraordinary faith required of John, is what drew me to his story. And then there’s the sheer brutality of his death. John’s life culminates in one of history’s most shocking executions: his beheading, with his head served on a platter. It’s a tragedy worthy of a Greek epic, except this was no myth. This is history.
