Many people associate this passage with Advent, a time when we prepare ourselves, our families, and our homes for the coming Christ child, for Christmas.
So, what does this passage have to do with Lent? My thoughts keep returning to Mary and her response to the angel’s announcement. After Gabriel’s grand description of her future child, what expectations, if any, did she hold in her heart? What expectations do I have for this Lenten season, and how will I respond to God’s love and calling?
In this passage from Luke 1, the angel Gabriel tells Mary she will have a child. He will be great. He will be holy, called Son of God, and given the throne of his ancestor King David. At the time of the Annunciation, Mary did not know what we know today. We know the Jesus story, from the Annunciation through the Resurrection. We know the stories of his humble birth and a little bit about his youth. We know his earthly life was a far cry from the angel’s proclamation of greatness and royalty. In his humanity Jesus was not a ruling earthly king. He had no army, no obvious power or greatness, and was esteemed by only a few fishermen, tax collectors, prostitutes, beggars, crazies and those on the margins of society. We know the profound, beautiful stories of his ministry and miracles, the awful story of his crucifixion, and finally the glorious story of his resurrection. We know he reigns at the right hand of the Father. And from OUR vantage point, he IS great, he IS holy, he IS the Son of God, the King of Kings whose kingdom will never end. We know the angel’s prophetic words are true. But Mary didn’t know.
I am deeply moved by Mary’s response to Gabriel. She says ‘let it be with me according to your word.’ Her faith, humility and gentleness both comfort and inspire me. She recognizes she is part of something bigger than herself. This is something I occasionally, even frequently, forget in my own journey. A friend often speaks truth to me by asking, “Whose story is it anyway?” He kindly reminds me we are all beloved participants in the divine drama of God’s kingdom present here and now. I know God loves me and cares about the details of my life. But, it is not all about me. I am not the central character of the story. I do not want to live thinking of myself as central to all that is, expecting God to show up as a participant in MY personal story. I want to wake up each morning and pray “Lord, let it be with me according to your word, according to your ways and plan for today. Let me choose to accept all that happens, good or bad, as a part of YOUR divine story.”
— Stephanie Curry
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