“Discovering Why You Were Born”
Luke 1: 26-38
December 5, 1993
It has been said that the two most important days in a person’s life are the day on which they were born and the day they discover why they were born.
Most of us are very aware of the first day, but we know almost nothing about the second. Our lives are made up of routines, one day after another. As someone said to me, “Life is one damned Birthday after another until we finally pack it all in. And then they put on your tombstone your date of birth and your date of death and a straight line in between.” The treadmill of life – no highs – no lows – no moments of wonder and ecstasy, where we suddenly can say: “For this I came into the world – for this I was born.”
In our Gospel this morning, we are at the beginning of Mary’s story. Mary, as most of you know, was a young Jewish girl who was no different than thousands of other young women. She was not any smarter, not any prettier, not any more pious than any of her neighbors. If you passed her on the street, you would not have looked twice. She was average in every way – except for one thing. She was open to discovering why she was born. She was able to discern the signs. She could hear the voice of Angels.
‘In the sixth month,” we’re told, “the Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the young woman’s name was Mary.” That’s how the story begins. Nothing unusual, particularly if you understand that virgin here simply means young woman.
A time, a place, and a set of characters are introduced. Life’s routines are mentioned – marriage, city life, families, nothing different – except that we’re given a hint that something will happen. An interruption into the flow of events will be forthcoming. It is as if the author of the story is saying, “Keep your eyes on Mary. She’s about to receive a message from God.”
I would like to remind all of you that, in a sense, this is what Christianity is all about. If we whittle away long enough, and stop arguing over teachings, or ethics, or Orthodoxy, Christianity is about a message and a messenger from God. If we put all the theological books aside, what we’re left with is a love story that starts out with the lover deciding to interrupt the beloved’s routine and communicate. The messenger announces what’s coming next.
So what we have is a young woman named Mary and an Angel coming to her from God, and what he said and what she said and that’s fundamentally what this chapter is about. But behind the dialogue is a basic understanding that life – that routines, can be interrupted by Angels. God finds a way to break into our lives, and this is the essence of the Good News for today. We learn that it is by the message of an Angel that we can discover why we were born. It’s only by an interruption of the routine that we can hear what our lives are all about and what God has in store for us.
Do you remember the last time an Angel spoke to you? Do you recall what this Angel said? This is the beauty of our story. The wonder – the miracle – was not that Mary was pregnant. Lots of people are pregnant. The wonder was that an Angel spoke and that Mary could hear and respond.
You say you have never heard a message from Angel?
You’ve never been accosted by Gabriel or any of his associates? You may be right, but maybe you have not recognized Gabriel – been open to hearing the message. Maybe the Angel was disguised. Mary didn’t stop when Gabriel said, ‘Hail, O favored one.” She didn’t stop and say, “Let me see your credentials.” She didn’t question “if this were for real.” She was living with what we might call a sense of expectancy – a sense of wonder – a sense of discovery. And thus she was open to being interrupted by God.
The great spiritual writers tell us that the problem with most of us is our lack of readiness – our lack of expectancy. We, in our cynical way, don’t think that God will communicate, that Angels are present, that messengers are here for us. “The world,” G.K. Chesterton once said, “does not lack for any wonders of God – only for a sense of wonder.” We don’t lack for Angels – only for a readiness to hear their message.
My friend, Dean Alan Jones of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, tells the story of when he understood this point. He was in Egypt and went to visit a Coptic monastery. He was met with extraordinary courtesy, and even though it was a humble place, he was treated royally. As he was leaving, he asked the Guest Master why they were so hospitable to a stranger – an Episcopal clergyperson whom they had never heard or seen before – and probably would never see again. The Guest Master replied, ‘We treat all guests as Angels just in case.” And the Dean said he learned a lot from that Guest Master. He learned that if you look for Angels and are open to discovering the messages from God, a wondrous change takes place in your life. You begin to find out why you were born and your life takes on new meaning.
But let’s get back to the original story. At the center of the drama is the Annunciation – an experience captured by music, art, and dance throughout the ages. And the centerpiece of the experience is Mary, responding with faith and commitment to the message of the Angel. Do you recall her words? “Let it be to me, according to your word.” No hedging the bets –no provisions –no asking for guarantees – just, “Let it be to me, according to your word.” Cynical, skeptical, half-hearted people can’t say that – only those who are open and listen for the voice of Angels can appreciate the story.
I have a confession to make. While I give out Communion, my mind often wanders. Lately, I’ve been intrigued by what teenagers are wearing. I’ve had two or three teenage girls come to the rail, and they have on a top that reads “Guess.” “Guess what?” I think. Guess what God is saying? Guess what Angels are here? “Guess” – it’s a great tag, but it needs to go further. Guess what you were made for. Guess why you were born. That’s what I wish it said.
Today is a double celebration. We are celebrating the Annunciation (the ‘Big Announcement”) – the story of the message to Mary and her response. And we are celebrating the installation of our newest priest, Gail Freeman.
An installation has to do with a call– an announcement – that one is here to respond to a message of welcome. Gail is acknowledging that she has been led by God – that she was sent by God or by His angels – to be a priest here in this place at this time.
When I was younger, we didn’t install priests – mostly, I think, because we didn’t believe the role was important enough. They were there to hatch, match, and dispatch–and possibly lead worship. It was useful to have someone to disperse the dead – to say a few words when people wanted to set up house, and to declare the names of young children. But that was all.
Now the role has been increased, and by installing someone we acknowledge t: that they may be messengers from God– Angels in disguise. The installation is a reminder that a priest’s task is to help us discover why we were born and what God has in mind for us. It’s an awesome task. And when a person is installed, I hope they get a lump in their throat and can only respond the way Mary did, “Let it be to me.”
What if, what if we heard the voice of an Angel? What if we found what our life was all about and what we were here for? Would we respond, “Let it be me, according to your word.”?
If there is one gift I want to give this Christmas, and if there is one gift I want to receive, it is to have each of us hear the Annunciation personally. If I could enter into that story, then I would be able to respond to the message of Angels. For we, like Mary, were born to carry God – we, like Mary, may be bearers of God’s grace. This is what we were made for, this is what we have come into the world for – this is what the Angels tell us. As we discover this, may we have the grace to say again and again, ‘let it be to me – let it be to me.” AMEN.