December 21st, 2021
Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Waiting…With Mary
Talk about turning one’s life upside down.
Covid has done just that to us, kind of like Gabriel turned Mary’s life upside down with his visit and news for her. I do not think we have adjusted as easily to our situation as Mary seems to have adjusted to hers. During this brief conversation with Gabriel, Mary was perplexed, quiet, and then accepting of the entire situation. Clearly, we as a whole have not acted with such equanimity during this COVID time. While there is less denial about the disease, there are still many who do not accept the limitations it has placed upon us—the masking or social distancing requirements or the need for vaccination. We could learn much from Mary’s response.
She is a reminder that while this virus is definitely not of our choosing, it is here, and we must accept the changes it has already brought about and will continue to make in our lives. Perhaps, like Mary, we should listen and accept our situation; accept the changes, even as we work to return to a new ‘normal’ than we ever knew before. After all, the news Gabriel imparted to Mary changed everything about who she was and who she would be from that time forward. As we accept the changes wrought in our lives, how can we move into acceptance of our new normal? How do we respond to God in the same way as Mary, when she said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
I think the answer lies in our ability to wait. Luckily, that is something we get to practice every year during Advent. In reality, we have spent the last almost two years waiting. And—while we are all tired of it—I suggest that we settle in and wait a little more. Wait for people to realize vaccinations work and take them. Wait for the understanding that we have just about reached our new normal and recognize when we are there. Like Mary, who waited on the birth of her child, we are waiting for the birth of ‘normal’. We can fully be together again, live in peace together, and not be afraid of this virus. That time is coming and I feel we are almost there. As Bob Dylan reminds us, “the times they are a-changing.” Let us hope they are changing for the better, that as with Jesus’ birth, a new time will arrive. Things will be different. It is up to us to live into those new times. Let us grow in this time of waiting. Let us prepare ourselves to be the Lord’s servants and follow wherever God leads us.
Let us pray…
Holy and Gracious God, help us to be like your servant Mary, who though she was perplexed was ready to do your will with every fiber of her being. Help us in this time of waiting. Be with us as we learn from you during this time. Join with us when our time of wait is over so that we can celebrate our new normal like we celebrate the changing of our lives with the birth of Christ. All this we ask through your Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
Deacon Ann Murray
St. Michael’s, Norman
Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma