December 20, 2015

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

                  What is it like to wait for the birth of a child? There are so many plans. There are so many changes on the way. Parents gather furniture and gear, clothes and diapers. Family and friends gather almost too many gifts and hand-me-downs. There is joy and excitement. There is a little fear around the unknown. There is danger. There is wonder.

                  First time parents have the steepest learning curve. Everything is new. Everything must be learned – all at once it seems. Advice comes like water from a fire hose. Who can remember it all (how much can be ignored)?

                  Before anyone is ready (except maybe the mother) the process of birth begins. After much rushing around and probably too little sleep, a new life comes into the world. There is joy. There is great happiness. There is still a little fear. How will this child turn out? Will we be good parents? Mostly, there is just dumb pride at the wonderful child right in the middle of everything.

                  I am at an age where most of my friends are becoming grandparents. We all have pictures. (Want to see some pictures?) Children are indeed a blessing when there is a time limit in responsibility. I can play with them and give them back. Good thing too – I don’t have the energy to chase them all day.

                  We put up with an awful lot for the sake of our children. Babies seem an even worse return on an investment of time and energy. We love them and coo and make ourselves silly. They mostly just burp and sleep (even if we think it’s a smile.) Why do we fuss over these little bundles of joy?

                  We don’t give to them because of what they give back. We love our children because of who they are and because of what we hope for them.

                  Today we remember two first-time mothers. Mary and Elizabeth are pondering their respective unplanned and unusual pregnancies. Elizabeth keeps company with a long line of women in scripture that find themselves with a child late in life. Mary has a more peculiar story that suggests God’s time and God’s ways. The prophets are often using the miracle of birth to stand for the surprising and joyful creation of something new by God. Just when we think we know the way the world works and we think we’ve seen it all, God laughs at our cynicism and gives us a baby.

                  We think we have hard times. Mary could point to no father (the Holy Spirit? That’s a hard story to sell.) Mary is a young girl in a patriarchal society, in an occupied country in the Roman Empire. She had no rights. She had no power. She was dependent on the generosity of Joseph and the patience of her neighbors, that they not reject her outright.

                  No wonder Mary goes to see Elizabeth. Who would want to hang around the old neighborhood? At least Elizabeth will have some experience of an unusual birth, and she would probably appreciate the help.

                  Elizabeth rejoices. There is no questioning. There is no judgment. She shares her joy and the child in her leaps for joy as well. Elizabeth believes Mary. Elizabeth believes in the promise given to Mary – just like we want to do with all children.

                  Mary responds with her own song. She proclaims the greatness of the Lord! She gives thanks for what God has promised her and for how she has been already blessed. She proclaims the way that God works in the world. God overturns our order of things. God lifts up the lowly and casts down the mighty. God feeds the hungry and sends away those who are already filled.

                  I wonder how different this might sound to us depending on where we find ourselves. We believe in the saving power of God. If God only saves those in need, why are we trying so hard to make ourselves comfortable? In Mary’s case, she remembers God’s power when she has no power. God will save her and her people no matter in what state they find themselves.

                  Mary shows great courage. Without much to go on, she trusts the promises of God. She takes on the disapproval of her culture. She takes a step on a long journey of faith. She invites us to do the same. Will we show courage in a time of uncertainty? Will we take on responsibility for caring for all of God’s children (even if we have enough problems of our own)? Are we ready to reject what we think we know and accept what God offers instead?

                  A child is coming? Do we have all the gear and clothes and food that are necessary? Are we ready? Probably not. We never really are. All we can do is try our best to be ready. Then we trust in God’s grace to show us what we need. Then we marvel. We wonder. We rejoice in God’s unbelievable gift.