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"Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you" (v. 28)
"When you pass through the waters I will be with you, and throught he rivers, they shall not overwhelm you...because you are precious in my sight and honored and I love you." (v. 2, 4)
At the beginning of creation, according to the Genesis story, the cosmos was a dark, empty void until God began to put things to order. First, there’s light, then seas, then earth, and plants and creatures, and at the end of each day, God took stock and nodded affirmatively: “this was good.” Finally, a human was created and God stretched in delight and said, “Oh yes. This time, it’s not just good. It’s really good.”
But then, God says, “wait!! Something is not good here.”
The ancient story explains that after unsuccessful attempts to befriend the animals, the first human had grown terribly lonely. Upon realizing this, God reflected and said, “ahh, this is not good. It’s not good for them to be alone.”
And out of this first human, God disentangled a help-mate, carved out a partner, sussed out a friend and made two people. The Hebrew language explains that this person is a counterpart to another and the one to stand opposite. They are the one who won’t turn away when others do. They are someone to challenge you, listen to you, and be with you.
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There’s an old midrash that imagines that at the end of these humans’ first day in Eden, as the dusk crept in and then darkness began to fall, Adam (human #1) starts to grow alarmed. As the sunlight fades and shadows descend, he starts to panic and then cry in desperation. Eve (human #2) hears him and comes to him. They sit there together weeping through the night convinced it must be the end of the world. As the endless hours creep by, they are astonished, finally, to see the horizon come into focus and then the dawn brighten as the light returns. The ancient story says that they learn two things that night:
1. The natural rhythm of the world is that of darkness to light and to darkness to light, and around and around, and so on.
2. They learn to ask: “Who will sit with you and weep with you and worry with you in the night? Who will challenge you and help you imagine? Who will be with you? (1)
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I want you to hold this story and these questions as we turn to our gospel story today which takes place in ancient Nazareth, with a young woman named Mary, and a visit from the angel, Gabriel.
Any time an angel steps into a story you know that things are about to go a little outré and Gabriel does not disappoint. He skips straight into left field with his report that Mary shall bear a child and his name shall be Jesus. (Honestly, this had to have been terrible news. She’s an young, unwed, woman and this is about to get very complicated for both her and her fiancée, Joseph.) As she takes it in, I imagine the sun beginning to set. As night descends around her, does she wonder:
Who will sit with her?
who will weep with her?
who will worry with her?
Who will be with her?
Maybe Gabe stayed for hours with Mary trying to help her understand the details, the story doesn’t say. To his credit, Gabriel does entertain a couple of Mary’s questions which is more than I can say for his last earthly visit to the mortal, Zachariah, who he struck dumb for trying to clarify a few things.
As Gabriel starts wrapping it up and preparing to leave, I imagine Mary standing there with her eyes wide. She wrings her hands as she watches him pack up his scrolls. He test-flaps his wings a few times, and glances over at her desperate face.
“All right, look” he says adjusting his halo. “I know this news is tough. Crazy even. I don’t write the storyline, I just deliver the messages.”
“But,” and he hops on the windowsill preparing to take off, “let me remind you of this:” He pulls a shining nugget out of his robe pocket and places it in Mary’s palm.
“Remember, you are highly favored. (verse 28a).
Remember God is with you (verse 28b).
Remember, you’re highly favored (verse 31).”
Remember, you’re highly favored (verse 31).”
And with that he takes off. As he swoops out into the night, he looks back, cups his hands around his mouth and shouts: “Did I tell you you’re highly favored?! Blessed! Loved! Precious in God’s sight?! Don’t forget it!” His voice echos in the night as he swoops off like a Marvel character.
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If I were to write a job description for angels, or perhaps just Gabriel, it would be something like this:
- Shock mortals with sensational news. Use whatever means necessary, burning bushes, choirs of heavenly hosts singing gloria in excelsis deo, rolling stones away, etc. Whatever it takes.
- Remind mortals not to be afraid. Expect them to constantly freak out and think the world is ending. Tell them: don’t be afraid, rinse and repeat, don’t be afraid…
- Push mortals to get creative. Have fun with it! (ie. how do you baptize an Ethiopian man in the desert with no water?)
- Throw mortals into the boxing ring when their ethics are questionable (ie, wrestle with Jacob until he cries uncle, admits to his sneaky ways, and agrees to meet with his twin brother Esau).
- Force mortals to hang out with people who are not like minded because it’s good for them (ie. make the fancy-pants Cornelius, invite the blue collar Apostle Peter over for dinner).
- Show mortals obvious things that help them out of binds (ie. when Hagar, is parched and withering out there in the desert, point out the well that she’s leaning against that is full of water
- Finally, remind mortals they are favored, beloved, precious in God’s sight, etc. etc. Loop that as many times as necessary (like, a bazillion times).
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Angels remind people they are a blessing and that they matter. Their presence clears the air. Their words inspire strength. Their challenges force growth. Their message calls folks to imagine new things.
And here’s the thing: It’s not only are the angels who are imbued with these sacred purposes and callings. All of us are.
I can stand up here and remind you that you’re a blessing. You can hear how the angels did this in scripture. And also, you can do this for each other. For it is not good for us to be alone.
Gabriel effectively passed the baton to Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, in this story. After this news descends on Mary and the shadows lengthen, she seeks out an earthly angel to support her: her cousin Elizabeth who showers her with encouragement and support. Elizabeth takes one look at Mary after she comes running to visit and exclaims, “Blessed are you!” (Well done, Elizabeth.) Mary stays for three months and I’m pretty sure Elizabeth reminded her of this Good News every morning and especially every evening as the sun began to set.
We are meant to be good to each other. When shadows lengthen in the garden and darkness falls, we need each other. We are meant to sit with one another, weep together and worry with each other in the night. We are meant to channel our inner angels: To remind each other of our blessedness and to lift one another’s spirits.
If you happen to be feeling pretty certain of your blessedness today, for heaven’s sake, go and find someone else who needs to hear of their own beloveness and tell them, because I promise you, someone needs to hear it. (This world is ruthless.) Let that person who needs to hear your words of blessing pull you out of the trap of thinking only of yourself and your problems and your issues. Go and sit with them in the garden as night falls. Tell them with words. Show them with listening. Tell them by bringing a casserole. Show them by hanging out with them, or checking up on them, or encouraging them, or donating blood for them in the basement after church today. Show them by supporting their housing costs to live here at church. Remind them: you are a blessing.
And then, receive that Good News from someone. For you, too, are a blessing.
And then, remind the next person,
and receive it from the next,
and bless the one after,
and receive from the next,
and give it
and receive it,
and round and round,
on and on,
as the sun rises and sets,
grace upon grace,
Word made flesh.
and receive it from the next,
and bless the one after,
and receive from the next,
and give it
and receive it,
and round and round,
on and on,
as the sun rises and sets,
grace upon grace,
Word made flesh.
(I) I first heard of this Mirash from Rabbi Sharon Braus
