Christ Our Shepherd Advent Calendar 2020
December 24, 2020
Pastor Miriam Beecher
We don’t know how long the angel was with Mary when Gabriel came to announce that she would have a baby who would be the Son of God. We know that before he left, she said to him, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” I’m afraid it would have taken me more time to adjust to this startling news, a lot longer.
So what happened to Mary during the next nine months? Surely she became the focus of scandalous Nazareth gossip. Joseph, “unwilling to expose her to public disgrace (!), planned to dismiss her quietly” before the angel paid him a visit in a dream. I guess there was no village announcement that God was doing all this; who would believe it anyway? So the Nazarites didn’t know the score until the couple and baby got back home from Egypt months (or years?) later.
How about us? We have just lived through nine months of uncertainty and conflicting opinions. If I were willing, I could raise a lot of subjects which would start arguments quickly. We have vaccines, but I don’t know how quickly you and I can get vaccinated—if you even want to. Economic chaos, demonstrations in the streets, political polarization—where will it all end? I don’t know that answer any more than the people of Nazareth knew what was up with Mary. But with God in charge, her story had a happy ending. Can I promise you a happy ending to 2020 or even 2021? No. But I can promise you this: ultimately God is in charge. And I have to believe that his next step will be the right one.
With love and hope,
Miriam
