At the Heart

I participate regularly (well almost regularly) in Daily Prayer sponsored by the provincial conference of our church and hosted by two pastors (see Back to the Future, July 8) .  It has become, I believe, a life-giving habit for those of us who don't mind 'the liturgical sound' including repetitive prayer patterns with opportunity to pray daily for precisely what is the daily joy, need, intercession, and even an 'extra concern' of each participant.  It is, I believe, also life-saving. Yes, alongside this regularly recurring appearance before God including a prerecorded daily hymn, I think I see some changes.  Changes within me, and seemingly also some changes around me. For example, the daily intercession includes a prayer for my neighbors, and now there are some changes up and down our street.  Greetings, waves, overtures of help are becoming more commonplace, including the related chats - social distancing of course. 💭 Similarly the church community, some programming challenges are meeting up with new solutions appearing not necessarily by our design but more likely by Holy Spirit infused corona circumstance. New thoughtfulness in church and community, new possibilities looking us in the face.

This has become especially convincing to me during these last several weeks of Advent. The interface of Old Testament yearnings and New Testament possibilities is right before our eyes as we read again some of those scriptures. An old woman beyond child bearing age, has a son.  Elizabeth and her humble old priest-husband Zechariah are told the unexpected news by an angel named Gabriel, and they shall name him John (Luke 1:13).  And a young Jewish maiden betrothed to a young man Joseph discovers she is pregnant.  Oops, but not to worry, says that same angel to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

The convincing part for me this year is this very old part, the part which has been either sung in Christmas carols, recited in pageants, programs and displays forever, repeated (yes repeated) even by those who hardly ever go to church!  These old scriptures are now again fresh in my mind and they will survive the profits not made this year by the shopping centers and pubs and restaurants this yuletide corona season.  I refer to prophets' words like Isaiah, 

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
² The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— (11:1,2);    

 Therefore the Lord himself will give you^[a] a sign: The virgin^[b] will conceive and give birth to a son, and^[c] will call him Immanuel.(7:14);     

and the famous one in The Hallelujah Chorus,  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,  and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.(9:6).

This yearning, anticipation among the Hebrews, first the wilderness wanderers, then the monarchy, then split kingdoms (yes Israel and Judah), then exile in Babylon and back to Jerusalem and then the long wait for that One promised. The angelic message about unlikely miraculous births (Luke 1) gives rise to yet further testing of faith - Zechariah is terrified (:12), and Mary perplexed, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" (:34).  Of late they have lived under Roman dominance, and fragmented understandings of their own faith (pharisees, scribes, saducees, zealots). For Mary to say, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word" is an impressive statement not only of submission but possibly relief and understanding.  And by the way, this young lady is also the mothering one - much pondering and agonizing during the upcoming lifetime of this baby she bore.

At the heart of all this seeking of solutions, a promised messiah, and then a virgin birth?  This year I cannot but lay claim to an unequivocal yes. Yes virgin birth!  The inclination of us neurotypicals is of course, How can this be? Like the people of Israel (and of today's society) the yen is for practical social and political solutions.   Even on an occasion of angelic annunciation the impulse would be to have it make sense. I smile even as I reflect on some of my own theological education.  Sexless births (mystery births) are not exactly within Creator's created order, yes? no?  Different interpretations (analyses?) often come with accompanying schools of religion, each with their brand of colleges, seminaries, and mode operandi.  You know, the liberalists, the literalists, the evangelicals, the neo-evangelicals, the zealous, the slackers, etc.  

Hail Mary!  Christmas 2020 is an excellent occasion to rethink some theology.  This year, when the kids are unable to sit on Santa's lap, it is a good time to read daily scriptures, to marvel at Mary and Joseph, and to come along with shepherds, sheep and cattle, and even some strangers from the East seeing a star announcing a baby born to a young lady as promised by an angel. Come and worship!  

Recently I learned something at Petroglyphs Provincila Park, an Indigenous teaching site near Woodbridge, Ontario.  It is a preserved display of ancient carvings depicting humans inhabited by spirit -  an Indigenous witness affirming belief in the divine-human. That may be news to many indigenous urban non-religious persons. That is probably news also to most of my settler colonialist Christian friends, although the virgin birth contingent among us may have less problem with that. Similarly, Muslims believe in virgin birth (Surah 19:20).  Christians who believe in virgin birth are in good company.  

God come among us.  That Nativity right in between the Testaments is indeed at the heart of the biblical message.  It cannot adequately be contained by liberal or conservative Christians.  Neither do we have the last word yet on all that God is about in this world, or this universe.  “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation1:8)

The virgin Mary had a baby boy. And they called him Jesus.