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Advent
What a season; what a sensation.
Advent and its theme of preparation can get lost in the haste and noise of the month ahead. At the same time, the beauty of the subject of our reflection almost immediately leads to an encouragement: Jesus may be coming as judge at the end of time, but the beginning of our time as people of faith can be found in the infant promise, the promise that would grow and mature and do everything needed for our salvation. The beauty of the infant, leads to the harshness of the cross, and then forward to the blazing beauty of the Easter morning resurrection revelation!
We could start right in Luke 1: 26-38 to see where this is going. On the surface it is a straightforward story of the revelation of the choice of Mary to bring forth the child of promise.
And this story comes complete with heavenly visions of angelic visitors. What a sublime greeting – “O Favored one” and what a mundane response from Mary – pondering what it could mean.
What a demonstration of the importance of this coming child; what a sublime promise for this Jesus – Son of the Most High (that’s God!), throne of David (that’s the Messiah promise!), house of Jacob (more Messiah!). And mundane Mary: “How can this be since I am a virgin?”
So, once more the sublime comes with a full explanation: Holy Spirit, power of the Most High, child will be holy, and a reminder “nothing will be impossible with God.” Finally the mundane fades as Mary responds in the only appropriate way: “let it be to me according to your word.” Mary who worried about what was next when she received God’s favor, Mary who worried about human limitations when God delivered so much promise, Mary finally comes up with what a statement of resignation to the Lord’s promise.
But before we give her too much trouble, we would do well to give ourselves a sublime and mundane check-up.
Advent means Jesus was promised and God delivered, and we may wonder if we are allowing enough shipping time for the gifts destined for far-off relatives.
Advent means God is coming again, and we may be wondering if we have spent enough money on the relatives’ Christmas presents.
Words of forgiveness and God’s love are proclaimed, and we may be trying to decide who we will invite to sit around the Christmas dinner table.
God’s message comes repeatedly in promise and light and love and Word and Sacrament – nothing is impossible with God, even you are loved! May we, who so often get dragged into the mundane concerns of life even at joyous times such as this, hear the sublime Advent promise: nothing is impossible with God, no one is impossible for God’s love, nothing can stop this Jesus, no one, not even Mary, can get in the way -- for the Son of God is coming to fulfill God’s promise and fulfill our need.
