Anything Is Possible

Tomorrow's Gospel reading tells the story of the Annunciation—the Archangel Gabriel's visit to Mary with the news that,

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.

Safiyah Fosua of the United Methodist Church's General Board of Discipleship has written of this passage,

The angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary included the news that her cousin Elizabeth, previously barren, was in her sixth month of pregnancy. This served two purposes. First of all, it reinforced the idea that with God all things are possible. Second, the news reassured Mary that she was not alone — at least one person, whom she loved, would understand and support her on the very difficult road ahead. Gabriel's Advent message continues to ring through the corridors of time to both reassure and strengthen our faith: anything is possible, and we are not alone!

Accepting an impossible challenge—The logistics and details of God's plans for Mary appeared to be impossible. Mary chose to accept the challenge and deferred to let God work out the details! God, who continues to present humankind with seemingly impossible challenges, is yet in the business of working out the difficult details.

Note: The painting above is by Chinese Christian artists He Qui (pronounced "Huh Chee"). A large giclee print of one of his paintings has been purchased for our entry hall and is being framed now. More on this gift to King of Peace soon.