December 20, 2020
/The Fourth Sunday of Advent
2 Samuel 7: 1-11, 16; Canticle 15; Romans 16: 25-27; Luke 1:26-38
The Rev. James M.L. Grace
In the Name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. AMEN.
“Oh, the places you will go!” “What great things are in store for you.” “I want you to be a Bishop one day.” These are all things which have been communicated to me over the years since I was a child. They are the normal platitudes of high school, college, or seminary commencement addresses: a bright future lies ahead for you, you will have great success, etc. Many of you might have been fed the same diet of platitudes, and some of you might feel the burden such platitudes can carry. You might be wondering – “is this all there is? I expected and wanted so much more.”
If there is any subtle message to adults and youth in our country today, it might be the quiet specter of upward mobility. We all hear it don’t we? The television advertisements this time of year which feature happy family gatherings with lots of presents under the tree, tables full of food. Those images may or may not match with your reality. The world, and sadly, the church at times reinforces the idea that we should be seeking promotions in our work, and increases in our salaries. We should be seeking out larger homes to live in. This is not the Gospel, nor do I believe it is God’s plan for us.
There is that phrase – “God’s plan.” Often those words – “God’s plan” are used to describe marvelous and wonderful things God has planned for us. I rarely hear someone tell a patient dying of cancer “what a wonderful plan God had for you.” I want to be clear – I personally believe God has a plan for all of us, and it has nothing to do with upward mobility. God’s plan for all of us is personal growth. This is not easy, it is often painful, and in the growing up process we learn things about ourselves we do not like. That is okay. Remember that the path which seems to offer the greatest challenge is the one most likely to lead you in the right direction.
God had a plan for Mary. When the angel Gabriel appeared to her to inform her of the perplexing news that she was to give birth to God’s son, she uttered some of the most profound words in all the Bible. She said, “Let it be done to me according to your word.” Notice what Mary does not say. She does not say, “let it be done to me according to your word, but don’t let it cost me my health.” She does not say “let it be done to me according to your word, but don’t make it too hard, or make it cost too much money.” She does not say “let it be done according to your will, but can I get something out of it too?”
Mary simply accepts the angel’s words, accepting what God gave her to do. She does not ask for more or less, she just receives what God gives. She does not ask God to make things other than the way they are. How many of us do the same in our lives?
When you are faced with a serious financial predicament, or if the results of the biopsy are unfavorable, what do you say to God? Do you say, “get me out this problem” or do you say, “let it be done according to your word?”
I have heard it said before that religion is something for people who are scared of hell, and that spirituality is for people who have already been there. If you have experienced a living hell, then you are well acquainted with those hard emotions of uncertainty, pain, and torment. I have. For a long time, I looked back on my hell experience as wasted time. Now, with some perspective, I see that my own personal hell was a blessing. It was a blessing because it led me to understand the grace of Mary’s words: “let it be done according to your word.”
The spiritual life is not a life of upward mobility, it is the opposite. It is the life of downward mobility, of emptying yourself, losing your ego, of walking through your own hell and living to tell about it - whatever you want to call it. Mary was chosen as God’s mother because she understood this. She let go. She was willing. “Let it be done with me according your word.” Let it be done. Let it be. AMEN.