When I went to seminary in my forties, I learned the pure pleasure and joy of studying scripture with my heart wide open. I read the familiar passages, and I surely learned to read parts of the Bible that I’d never heard of before.
Each year at Advent time we, in Christian communities of faith, read some of the most familiar of those passages. The prophecies of a Messiah, the challenging and comforting words of the poets who first prayed the psalms, and the gospel record of the birth of Jesus. Perhaps we settle in for a long winter’s cuddle in the comfort of familiarity.
But, these days, it seems, are not days of cozy cuddling or days of comfort or even familiarity to many of us. Speaking for myself, it feels like so much of our future is unclear, unlike previous seasons, hard to anticipate and plan for.
What if we look to those scriptures for some help in these hard times?
What Can We Learn From Mary?
Consider Mary. A young woman, the centerpiece of the nativity story whose own story begins well before the birth of a surprising baby.
She is the subject of ancient prophecies, is spoken to by an angel, faces sure rejection by her betrothed and her community. She travels some distance to visit a relative, sings of God’s goodness using words that echo those of another woman. Finally she does what the government requires and, late in her pregnancy, joins her husband in returning to his ancestral home to be counted. But her story does not end there. Giving birth under extraordinary circumstances, she soon flees to another country to protect her child.
Can we learn from her example?
Some call Mary the first disciple. Might we be so able to live into uncertain days? Light on our feet. Seeing possibility in the truly unprecedented?
In the Midst of Difficult Times
Therapists recommend that when we find ourselves in difficult times, perhaps even suffering from depression, we find ways to ground ourselves and look ahead with some hope.
We might do the things that bring us reassurance—like visit a relative. Or tune our ears to listen to unlikely voices; maybe not an angel but perhaps someone who seems like an angel to us. We might even sing; in this season the really familiar words of carols and songs from our childhood. We can recommit to taking care of ourselves, finding companionship in relationships we value.
We might also just find the determination to do what is required in order to move into the next season. Paying our taxes, moving seasonal furniture to the garage, doing the tasks that stay on our to-do lists week after week.
Some say preachers preach to themselves. If so, these words are for my heart, and you are invited to overhear them. Inspiration for those self-preserving guideposts of purpose might come from ancient words. Words that help to ground me. Maybe we will all listen and hear anew the familiar words in this Advent season.
Listening to the Scriptures
When we really can’t see the way ahead, we can revisit Isaiah’s words that gave rise to the sustaining hope for an entire people who longed for a savior and the woman who would bear that child.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
When our voices are choked with emotion and our brains are befuddled and too full to summon clear thoughts, we may remember that Mary did not have to think on her feet to express her praise, she rested in Hannah’s words. Hannah sang:
My heart rejoices in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in the Lord,
My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, there is no one besides You, (1 Samuel 2:1b-2)
When we feel alone, we might travel (surprise visit!) in order to face a loving listener face-to-face. Luke tells us that the angelic visitor departed from Mary and the next thing recorded is her visit to her relative, Elizabeth:
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. (Luke 1:39-42)
And, when the world presses hard, we can recall that Mary met the governmental requirements and yet, when the threat to her family grew too great, she and Joseph did something remarkable, unexpected, possibly even illegal to secure their safety.
Now after they [the magi] had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.” When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the magi.”(Matthew 2:13-16)
From the first disciple, a young woman, Mary we, too, might learn and relearn the human coping skills needed to face an uncertain future. An unlikely voice. Easily overlooked. Yet powerful and determined. Unaware, perhaps, of her own importance.
Come, Lord Jesus. Open our eyes and ears, help us to be watchful. We wait. We hope. We sing. We remember.
For Reflection (either individually or with a group)
Read the blog. Read it a second time, maybe reading it aloud or asking someone else to read it aloud so you can hear it with different intonation and emphases. Invite the Divine to open your heart to allow the light of new understanding to pierce the shadows of embedded assumptions, stereotypes, and ways of thinking so that you may live more abundantly. Then spend some time with the following questions together with anything or anyone who helps you reflect more deeply.
- What do you find most challenging about waiting?
- For what are you waiting right now?
- What are your regular strategies for navigating a time of waiting?
Download a pdf including the Reflection Questions to share and discuss with friends, family, or members of your faith community small group.
Blog: Copyright 2024, Rev. Ruth D. Fitzgerald, All Rights Reserved. Artwork courtesy of Chas Hathaway at Christian Art Expo.
