Greetings

In the sixth month 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 virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “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 called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38 ESV).

In the days of the military draft, a young man selected to serve would receive a notice from the President of the US. It began with: “Greeting… you are ordered to report for induction.” I found a WWII example recently. The tone and message was ominous. It made the draftee understand that they were considered fungible, expendable, an item to be processed, serial numbered, and regarded as war material. In fact, it is from this concept that the foot soldiers of those years were simply called “GI’s.” It was the abbreviation of “General Issue.” They may not have been much more important than their issued weapon. While we still have a registration for the draft; the draft ceased to be used on January 23, 1973 as the Vietnam War came to a close. Our reading today carries with it another “draft notice.” The angel Gabriel unexpectedly enters into Mary’s life to announce that God has called her to do something and has enabled her to do it. She is pregnant. We glibly pray that God will help us to know what we are called to do in this life. But we don’t actually expect that to happen! When it does happen, Mary discovers, as Moses discovered before her, and Abraham before him, that God’s call is not as much fun as we thought it would be. There is danger and uncertainty. But Mary says yes to the gift that is within her. She accepts God’s call. “Let it be with me according to your word.” A calling, as Mary discovered, is frightening and perplexing; but it is also exciting and invigorating. To be called, and enabled, by God to do something in this world is an incredible gift. God has called you to something and enabled you to do it. Make your answer to that calling the same as Mary.