Daily Advent Reflection: 20th December 2020

Luke 1: 26–38

I cannot deny that during lockdown I have watched more daytime TV
than usual. A new one on me has been ‘Impossible’ in which the
players need to avoid giving the impossible answers in order to stay
in with a chance of winning the jackpot.

There are lots of impossible things. Just one, by way of example – it’s impossible
for you to lick your elbow. (You’re all trying that now, right?) And, according
to scientists, it ought to be impossible for a bumblebee to fly, having a large body and very small wings which are too small to carry that much weight. So sometimes, impossible things are possible.

I know that when people read or hear of the encounter of Mary with
Gabriel, and the angel’s message, some would say, ‘Impossible’ on
many counts. When Mary hears the angel’s news, I think there’s a bit
of her that is saying, ‘impossible’ in her response, ‘How can this be…?’
But she continues her thinking and then responds, ‘Let it be…’

As we continue through the Christmas narrative we will discover
once again that, as Gabriel declared, ‘nothing will be impossible with
God’. And later on, Jesus himself declared, ‘With God, all things are
possible’. In fact he said it five times!

Sue Williams

Gracious God,
Thank you for surprising Mary with the visit of the angel and the
amazing news you gave her, and for her willingness to say Let it be .
When we are faced with seemingly impossible things to deal with, let us
not lose heart, but remember you are God of impossible things, a God of
surprises, a God of miracles, and may we, like Mary, say, ‘Let it be…’
In Jesus’ name. Amen.