Gabriel's Message is a Christmas carol unfamiliar to me.... and this is my pondering.
As we anticipate the celebration of Christ's first coming, someone had to say yes.
"Yes" to the unknown, the out of the box, the dangerous. Maybe if an angel showed up in my life I'd agree to the possibility of public humiliation, the loss of cherished relationships, even the threat of my death.
All these Mary faced as an unmarried woman, a pregnant virgin trying to explain to her beloved that she was still pure. That God had showed up after she had spoken to an angel.
We know God would give Joseph a dream, we know Joseph's willingness to let Mary go to her cousin Elizabeth and return to their small village in an obvious state of pregnancy. Mary didn't know. We know that the babe in Elizabeth's womb would leap for joy and the women would rejoice together in the confirmation of God's miracle.
Mary didn't know.
But she said "Yes!"
I want to say yes.
I want to trust God to speak in me, not to just wait for a visible angel to show up and reveal himself. Maybe the kind strangers, the near misses, the safe delivery from childbirth or even long, wearying car trips involves angels. Invisible guardians and messengers.
As Bill lay dying, heaven was no longer up there and far away. Eternity and the revelation of the Spirit world shimmered close to his bed. I closed my eyes and almost felt the brush of angel wings. Some days still, heaven fills my small piece of this world and I remember.
And despite the Christmas carols that celebrate the idea that the angels descended, perhaps they just pulled back the fragile veil between the seen and unseen and the shepherds became aware.
I want to be aware.
Join me this season, this precious season of possibilities
- when we say "YES!"
Gabriel's Message
The angel Gabriel
from heaven came
His wings as drifted snow his eyes as flame
”All hail” said he “thou lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
“For know a blessed
mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honor thee,
Thy Son shall be Emanuel, by seers foretold
Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
Then gentle Mary
meekly bowed her head
”To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said,
”My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name.”
Most highly favored lady. Gloria!
Of her, Emanuel,
the Christ was born
In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say:
”Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
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