March 25. Nine months until Christmas. Today we remember the annunciation - the angel Gabriel coming to Mary to tell her (ask her?) that she will bear God's son. I have so many feelings about this, and almost none of them are captured in this painting, or in most depictions I have seen of the event. In Nazareth, you can visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, built over the site (agreed upon but maybe not the actual site, as so many things in the Holy Land). It is a huge, modern space, filled with depictions of Mary from all over the world. Mary, who at the time of the annunciation was a teenage girl from a small, insignificant village.
It is amazing to me how much of Mary and Jesus' story has been tamed and co-opted to serve human power structures, political and religious. I so wish that the Bible included Gospels written by women. I wonder how they would portray the annunciation and all that followed. It is a perspective that would enrich our understanding and no doubt challenge the dominant narratives. Mary, meek and mild. I doubt it.
Yet even from the perspective of the men who framed the story, the incarnation is revolutionary. Earthly powers are upended, the rich are sent away, the poor are raised up. God's reign is not good news for empires. Here's the Magnificat, from Luke's Gospel.
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for God has looked with favor on the lowliness of God's servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is God name. God's mercy is for those who fear God from generation to generation. God has shown strength with God's arm; the Lord has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. God has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. God has helped God's servant Israel, in remembrance of God's mercy, according to the promise God made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
I love to imagine the actual dialogue between Mary and Elizabeth when Mary visited her cousin after she became pregnant. "Can you believe it? What is going on? Is this crazy or what?" Lots of laughter, and a whole lot of mutual support. I am lucky enough to have women in my life with whom I could share moments like this. And while we thank God for God's action in our lives, we often wonder what the heck is going on and how we are to live with these callings.
Mary lived in community. Jesus was raised in a community. Pay attention to the people around you. Surround yourselves with people who love you and support you. Because crazy things will happen, and we need each other to make sense of them. And if we can't make them make sense, we will at least know that there is love. That is the promise God made to our ancestors.