Tell God I say, “Yes.”
Peace be with you! I hope and pray your Advent season is off to a good start. This time of year is so rich with illustrations and texts that convey the story of the anticipation of Christ's birth. During our "Prayerfully Preparing for Advent" service on Monday, we read through parts of Luke's Gospel that include the angel Gabriel coming to Mary. I couldn't resist the unfamiliar hymn tune, Columcille, because of the lyrics for "No Wind at the Window," which concludes with the final verse, "No payment was promised, no promises made; no wedding was dated, no blueprint displayed. Yet Mary, consenting to what none could guess, replied with conviction, 'Tell God I say, Yes.'"
This image above is Henry O. Tanner's The Annunciation, located in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It is a stunning portrayal of the angel Gabriel and Mary, painted in 1898. This moment in history stands alone as a pivotal act of faith - a young woman, by herself, answering God's call to an unknown future.
William Willimon reflects on the gift of Christmas and Mary's affirmation in a chapter of Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas titled, "The God We Hardly Knew." He somewhat cynically yet realistically calls out this season of generosity and gift-giving, naming the premise of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. "Whereas Luke tells us of God's gift to us, Dickens tells us how we can give to others. A Christmas Carol is more congenial to our favorite images of ourselves. Dickens suggests that down deep, even the worst of us can become generous, giving people. Yet I suggest," Willimon asserts, "we are better givers than getters, not because we are generous people but because we are proud, arrogant people. The Christmas story - the one according to Luke not Dickens - is not about how blessed it is to be givers but about how essential it is to see ourselves as receivers."
Mary relinquishes much of her own agency in her affirmation to the angel Gabriel. She is taking a step of faith, relenting her life to God's will. In a world that prefers control, power, and self-sufficiency, she acts with that word that makes us squirm - submission - to God's call upon her life. What a reversal, that this act of submission powerfully ushers in God's presence for all humanity. Mary's subscription to God's fate for her proved to be the most amazing, miraculous vehicle for God's love and salvation to enter the world. This gift from the Holy Spirit, and her capacity to receive it, changed everything.
It really is counter-cultural, this endeavor of answering God's call to Christianity that lays claim on our lives in unexpecting ways; to follow the call of the Holy Spirit that has no five-year plan but just a first faithful step into the unknown and extraordinary. The mystery and beauty of this season never disappoints.
I'm praying for you all during this busy time, that God may show up and surprise you in unexpected ways; that this story may touch you deeply again this year; that you may be open to receive the gift of Emmanuel.
Blessings,
Sarah
