Rev Bill

No — I did not misspell Merry in the title to this post — I am using a little play on words here — referring to Mary the mother of Jesus.
Mary — the teenager from Nazareth who was visited by an angel and told she would give birth to the Messiah.
Mary — the girl barely out of childhood herself — who gave birth to a baby who was God’s own self.
Mary — the girl who understood that she was God’s servant — God’s handmaid as she put it — and allowed God to do a miraculous thing through her.
Mary.
Full of grace, as the Catholics pray.
Mary.
Full of faith — as I see it.
Mary.
What was it about Mary that was different from others?
Why did God choose Mary?
Maybe it was not so much a thing of God choosing Mary as it was Mary being willing to see God and be used by God.
Maybe God and Mary somehow chose each other.
I know it wounds weird — but that’s an idea I’m “playing with”.
Maybe God was looking for a way to come into the world and bless us with God’s will for salvation and God’s kingdom of love, justice, and peace — and needed someone willing to be used by God for God’s purposes. Like Noah in the Old Testament who was willing to obey God and help God create salvation from destruction — maybe Mary was willing to obey God and help God create the ultimate plan for salvation.
Which brings me to the “Mary Christmas” thing.
Maybe we can be more like Mary — willing to see God at work in the world — and ready to help God bring in God’s will for love — justice — mercy — peace and salvation.
Ann Weems — a poet I read some and respect greatly — wrote a poen in her book Kneeling In Bethlehem that conveys this thought:

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