Making straight the path of Christ is not only the vocation of John the Baptist but of every baptized believer. God desires to lead us with His mercy and justice. These are essentials in God’s kingdom and some of the gifts Christ’s future coming will bring. But our world’s systems do not place emphasis on these values. Wanting greater profits, downsizing companies in order to reduce expenses, using others for personal or corporate gain, and valuing institutions over people are just a few of the “values” we encounter every day. We are called to straighten the path to Christ. In a world that places value on things that are counter to our call, how do we respond? We need to learn to discern what is of real value and then take the risk of bringing it into the marketplace.