“For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37
An angel visits a young teen who humbly accepts the divine revelation she receives. She does not doubt but believes this miracle of divine birth as declared by this angelic being and previously foretold by the prophets.
That one so young articulates such a mature faith is a wonder.
She makes the difficult journey to Bethlehem as she is heavy with child and the donkey is heavy with her. The town is either so crowded or she and her fiancé are so poor that no one offers them a room. Cast aside in a smelly stable without the help of a midwife, she gives birth to the Son of God.
That God’s ways are often antithetical to the world’s is stunning.
A large heavenly host of angels appears, not to the wealthy and powerful, but to lowly shepherds who are just minding their sheep as they usually do on a cold night. Yet God choses the meek to defy the proud. They are the privileged ones to receive the message of the long-awaited Messiah.
That the kingdom of God turns our ideas of society on its head is extraordinary.
A dazzling star glimmers so bright in the heavens that it garners the attention of sages from a foreign country. So enthralled are they that they leave their hometown and travel for two years to follow this curious luminary. When it pauses to hover in the firmament, they discover the Christ Child and bow in worship as they shower Him with gifts.
That these foreigners worship Him is a marvel. That they find Him is a miracle.
What are the odds that all of this would happen as the Scriptures had foretold? The angel tells Mary that “nothing is impossible with God”, meaning God keeps His promises. He is able to do and will do all that He has foretold.
God reaches down from the heavens in the cuddly form of a newborn baby, born in a roughly-hewn trough to die on a ruggedly-chiseled cross. From cradle to grave, Jesus reveals Himself to be God incarnate yet fully human. He divinely navigates the trials and tribulations of terrestrial life to forge a path we can follow back to heaven, through the starry hosts to the throne of God.
When we believe in the miracles, no matter who we are or what we've done, against all odds, we become children of God. Perhaps that is the biggest miracle of all.
Lord, like Mary, may I be open to Your divine possibilities in my very human existence and may I heed Your calling and obey Your revelations to me. Like the shepherds and sages, may I bow down and simply worship You. Amen
Text and photograph copyright © 2021 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of a stain glass window in La Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, Lugano, Switzerland.
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A NOTE ON RACIAL JUSTICE: Becoming antiracist is a journey. Together, we can make a difference. Will you join me? Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice. Click here to learn more.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
An angel visits a young teen who humbly accepts the divine revelation she receives. She does not doubt but believes this miracle of divine birth as declared by this angelic being and previously foretold by the prophets.
That one so young articulates such a mature faith is a wonder.
She makes the difficult journey to Bethlehem as she is heavy with child and the donkey is heavy with her. The town is either so crowded or she and her fiancé are so poor that no one offers them a room. Cast aside in a smelly stable without the help of a midwife, she gives birth to the Son of God.
That God’s ways are often antithetical to the world’s is stunning.
A large heavenly host of angels appears, not to the wealthy and powerful, but to lowly shepherds who are just minding their sheep as they usually do on a cold night. Yet God choses the meek to defy the proud. They are the privileged ones to receive the message of the long-awaited Messiah.
That the kingdom of God turns our ideas of society on its head is extraordinary.
A dazzling star glimmers so bright in the heavens that it garners the attention of sages from a foreign country. So enthralled are they that they leave their hometown and travel for two years to follow this curious luminary. When it pauses to hover in the firmament, they discover the Christ Child and bow in worship as they shower Him with gifts.
That these foreigners worship Him is a marvel. That they find Him is a miracle.
What are the odds that all of this would happen as the Scriptures had foretold? The angel tells Mary that “nothing is impossible with God”, meaning God keeps His promises. He is able to do and will do all that He has foretold.
God reaches down from the heavens in the cuddly form of a newborn baby, born in a roughly-hewn trough to die on a ruggedly-chiseled cross. From cradle to grave, Jesus reveals Himself to be God incarnate yet fully human. He divinely navigates the trials and tribulations of terrestrial life to forge a path we can follow back to heaven, through the starry hosts to the throne of God.
When we believe in the miracles, no matter who we are or what we've done, against all odds, we become children of God. Perhaps that is the biggest miracle of all.
Lord, like Mary, may I be open to Your divine possibilities in my very human existence and may I heed Your calling and obey Your revelations to me. Like the shepherds and sages, may I bow down and simply worship You. Amen
Text and photograph copyright © 2021 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of a stain glass window in La Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, Lugano, Switzerland.
Not a subscriber to the monthly blog posts? Click here to subscribe.
A NOTE ON RACIAL JUSTICE: Becoming antiracist is a journey. Together, we can make a difference. Will you join me? Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice. Click here to learn more.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
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