Gifts of hope

Wintertime. The weather takes on an ominous chill. Nature turns barren. There’s not much to do except stay inside, enjoying a blazing fire or the warmth of family relationships. The world slows down and crawls into hibernation. It’s a season of dying. A time of waiting.

Mary must have felt as if she were dying – frigid stares of condemnation all around her; a doubting fiancé – as she waited for the birth of Jesus. Was she excited about the new life inside her? Or was she preoccupied with all the things that were coming to an end in her life: the death of innocence, youth, naivety?

Mary ran with speed and purpose to her cousin’s house in the hill country (Luke 1:39). Perhaps she needed a pep talk to change her outlook and turn her eyes to the promise of the Messiah’s birth. Perhaps Mary needed a few words of encouragement during a dark and dismal season of life.

Elizabeth came from a priestly lineage and was a woman of sincere faith (Luke 1:5–6). Her long period of barrenness connected her with other biblical figures like Sarah and Hannah. Elizabeth would have known what it was to suffer scorn and quizzical looks from neighbours when she was unable to conceive a child. Elizabeth was a woman who knew the trial of waiting.

Being a descendant of Aaron, she would also have been familiar with the promises of God, clinging to them steadfastly. Elizabeth could probably recite the stories of Sarah and Hannah by memory, knowing that they ended with the sweet cries of newborn babies. When the angel finally announced that she would give birth to a son, Elizabeth must have been overcome with joy!

And she wasn’t afraid to share her gift of joy. In a manner similar to that of many Old Testament prophets, Elizabeth exuberantly spoke a word of blessing to her cousin, Mary.

This was no ordinary greeting. It was a prophetic, life-transforming declaration that set convention on its head (since custom would have demanded Mary to first pay respect to her older relative, especially given Mary’s “shameful” pregnancy). Instead, it was Elizabeth who spoke.

In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”(Luke 1:42–45).

This greeting uplifted Mary, and she immediately burst forth in a song of praise to the Lord.

Christmas gives us the opportunity to speak words of blessing to others, just like Elizabeth. It gives us the opportunity to share God’s gift of hope. It allows us to be messengers of God, even though we may not be pastors or full-time Christian workers.

The legacy of Mary’s three-month visit with Elizabeth is this: a lesson in boldly sharing God’s gift of hope. It helps us think in new ways about our Christmas greetings. Who needs encouragement? Who should we thank for their service over the past year? Who needs a reminder of God’s promises this season?

This issue of the Herald is filled with stories and words of hope. We pray they will be a gift to our readers. In the midst of winter, we anticipate rebirth – the hope of spring. We hear a promise whispered on the winds of December: new life. Christmas rekindles our faith and provides opportunities to share the gift with others.