Announcing the arrival of a V.I.P. is its own event. I once watched a 14 car motorcade announce a U.S. President’s arrival to a theater. V.I.P. status is confirmed by temples of fame and fortune with their outside trappings of red carpets and media. It is confirmed by expensive gifts and plush surroundings. All of it confirms for onlookers that such lives matter. Jesus’ life matters. But as this Sunday’s Gospel shows, the annunciation to Mary of his arrival lacked such V.I.P. trappings. African American artisan, Henry Ossawa Tanner, paints the truth of The Annunciation as a poor girl who is roused from sleep in an inside room of a modest earthen dwelling.
Mary’s life matters too. Exterior indications of it mattering will be marked neither by spotlights nor luxury. The exterior life of this young dark-skinned girl will be marked instead by selflessness and simplicity. Interior indications will be a Spirit and a womb and a home nurturing a loving life. As a powerful Spirit dwells within Mary, so a powerful Spirit dwells within each and every one of us. It is a power joined to lowliness. In the lowliness of Mary, in the lowliness of her baby born into simplicity, power becomes a personal Presence at home in our vulnerability. This is the revelation of being Christ – that our life matters. It matters even though we live within an empire telling us it does not. We live in an empire consistently telling dark-skinned boys and girls, their lives do not matter. Black lives do matter. Christmas is not an ancient story of a moment in time. It is rather an ever renewing annunciation that lives matter, especially the most marginalized.
“Sweet little Jesus Boy, Born A long time ago. Sweet little Holy Child. We didn’t know Who You were.” We don’t know Who Are (Sweet Little Jesus Boy – African American Spiritual)
Prayer: Creator, may we, like Mary, accept the invitation to give birth to a life that matters.
Question: Who can I help to believe their life matters?
December 21, 2014 Gospel Luke 1:26-38 Fourth Sunday of Advent