Was John the Baptist a Contrary?

In the Anishinaabe worldview, there exists a figure known as a contrary — someone who appears to act backwards, say unexpected things, or challenge social norms. At first glance, the behaviour of a contrary can seem unsettling or confusing. Yet within the Indigenous worldview, their role is deeply sacred. They invite laughter, loosen rigid thinking, and reveal truths hidden beneath our assumptions.

Contraries remind us that wisdom does not always arrive dressed in how society portrays respectability. Sometimes it comes clothed in humility, even strangeness. Their behavior turns our expectations upside down so that something new can be seen. They are teachers who help people see from a different perspective.

When I was very young, I had a dream that I was walking down a road with some of adults in my family. Ahead of us, the road curved and a large crowd of strangely dressed individuals were emerging from around the corner. I understood these to be Contraries as they had similar features to those I have seen at Indigenous gatherings. I looked up at the adults I was walking with expecting they would have a response to the crowd ahead of us, but no one seemed to notice them. I remember clearly the unease I felt when I woke up — not just because of the strange appearance of the individuals from 'out of nowhere', but also my confusion as to why others could not see them.

Today the contrary appears to be more visible at Indigenous gatherings than when I was younger. There are many possibilities for this, including the resurgence in Individuals reconnecting with Indigenous teachings as well as an increase in the number of public Indigenous gatherings in recent years. I also lean towards the belief that different humans are placed on earth at appointed times. In Daniel 12:9, we see that God may seal meaning until an appointed time — and I wonder if we may be at a time in history when those who hold this sacred role of challenging systems and strongholds are deeply needed. I wonder whether the increased appearances of 'this new crowd' means that God is bringing about a shift in thought processes or new understandings.

John the Baptist: The Biblical Contrary

Where might we have seen this figure in the Bible?

Long before Jesus began His ministry, another figure stood at the edge of society — John the Baptist. He lived in the wilderness, wore camel’s hair, and ate locusts and wild honey. His message was simple but disruptive: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.” (Matthew 3:2, ESV)

John did not preach in the temple courts or among the religious elite. He cried out from the margins, calling both the poor and the powerful to return to God with sincere hearts. In doing so, he directly confronted the religious misunderstandings of his day.

Where the Pharisees focused on appearances, John pointed to inner transformation.

Where society valued status and power, John lifted up humility and truth.

In many ways, John embodied the characteristics of the contrary — living in a way that unsettled comfort and demanded reflection. His radical message and manner may not have been understood to many around him, but he was necessary to a shift about to happen with the arrival of Christs' ministry. His appointed time was to call people to see differently.

The Role of the Contrary and the Prophet

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:19, NIV)

Both the contrary and John the Baptist stand outside the systems they challenge. Their lives are not about rebellion for its own sake, but about revealing imbalance and restoring harmony. They show what happens when faith becomes too comfortable — when people stop questioning and begin assuming they already hold all the answers.

In Indigenous understanding, the contrary may act humorously or even foolishly, but their purpose is wisdom. They help people drop their defenses through laughter or discomfort, making room for honest self-reflection. John the Baptist, too, used discomfort as a teaching tool. His words cut to the heart and his message was provocative. He disturbed complacency, preparing the way for the One who would bring renewal and reconciliation.

Listening Beyond Agreement

Today, we live in a time when many seem to seek that which aligns with one's own viewpoint — echo chambers that reinforce our existing beliefs. But both Indigenous contraries and biblical prophets remind us that truth rarely grows when we are comfortable. They remind us that status quo is comfortable, but it is also stagnant. Our minds grow when we make space to hear differences in opinions and unsettling voices, those who seem “different” or “backwards” at first. The mind expands when we allow humility and curiosity to guide us instead of fear or pride.

While a contrary's actions may make you feel uncomfortable, we can understand that they are there to challenge a way of thinking. This should not be read as the writer encouraging tolerance of the 'rage bait' we see online, or words that are blatantly disrespectful, or contradictions to God's Word as this hurtful behaviour should not be equated with that of the contrary. Their purpose is not to leave you hurt or upset, it is so we can frame the challenge of a certain way of thinking as enhancing perspective.

This also is not a call to blindly accept when an opposing viewpoint is presented, but it is a call to use introspection which requires more reflection, time, and prayer. Their role isn't to convince you, but to examine what assumptions may lie in the core of what you currently hold as truth. Such might be necessary to expose religious strongholds that blind you from spiritual insight.

An example is in John the Baptist who cried out in the wilderness: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3, NIV). This would not be an easy thing to hear in Jesus' time — or even now. But John the Baptist was necessary because his ministry called people out of spiritual barrenness into God’s renewal!

The key lies not in the emotion that is produced, but in its spiritual fruit.

The contraries among us today do much the same. Through paradox, laughter, and discomfort, they may be preparing our hearts to build understanding in fresh ways.

Perhaps the rise in contrary-like voices today — people and movements that challenge how we see faith, justice, or creation — signals that the Spirit is once again calling us to turn around, to throw off religious mindsets, and to look again with new eyes.

When we meet someone who unsettles us — who challenges our certainties or invites us to think differently — perhaps we should pause, listen, and then ask God to show us why we feel uncomfortable and if there is something we can learn from them. They may not be against us. They may be preparing the way for growth and for God to do a new thing in us!

Heavenly Father,

There are times when we do not perceive that you are doing a new thing! From our human understanding we may feel that things are falling apart when you are actually at work through circumstance so things fall into place.

Thank you that you love us enough to correct us and that you withhold no wisdom from us. 

Thank you for the voices you send into our lives that challenge us and open our minds to new ways of understanding you. Thank you that although there may be many parts of us that hold on to wilderness thinking, you do not desire us to remain there.

Help us to be patient with those who do not echo our ways of thinking. Give us ears to hear them. Give us open ears and soft hearts to gain wisdom in moments when we encounter these difficult messengers - even when it is uncomfortable for us. Help us to not hide in a rigid mindset that feels familiar comfortable, but does not serve to strengthen our relationship with you.

Amen!