Word to the Wise
Tuesday, December 19, 2006 - THIRD TUESDAY IN ADVENT
[Judges 13:2-7, 24-25A and Luke 1:5-25]Do not be afraid, Zecharish, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
The story of the annunciation of Samson's birth, John the Baptist's birth and Jesus' birth are all similar. The event is a matter of God's grace and intervention in history. Where birth was thought impossible, it occurs. The expectant Virgin Mary has become a symbol of Advent and the model of the one who waited patiently for the Lord to come. As a number of my mom-friends have clearly informed me, this is not very easy! Here the emphasis is on the bringing of joy to two women who were thought to be barren, a terrible status in biblical times. It is not an easy one in this day as I also know from friends who have had difficulty in conceiving. Perhaps the status of Jesus as the centerpiece in the crib set draws our attention away from the ordinary joys of the birth of a child and the difficulties and challenges of bearing the child. During the holidays, I will baptize Lucy Danielle Baker and Mariah Wilkiemeyer. It will be a special privilege to share in the joy of their parents and grandparents and all those who come to witness the event. Baptism is the birth into Christ whose birth into this world we celebrate in this season! These children are living signs of Christ's hope. AMEN
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