Advent 2019: Day Seven

“Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” –Luke 1:38

Throughout the Bible, when God speaks a word to God’s followers, the signal that they hear and are prepared to answer the call is marked by their response: “Here am I.” When God calls on Abraham and Moses, they respond, “Here am I.” Samuel, perhaps slower on the draw, responds, “Here am I,” three times before he figures out it is the LORD who calls him. Mary’s response, marked by this same signal, shows that she is included in this line of those called by God for a purpose, and that she has the strength and faith to respond, “Here am I.” But unlike those who have come before, here a woman is shown answering this call.

This breaking of the gender barrier signals a shift in what God is doing in the world. When Mary offers her own, “Here am I,” it is to a wholly new work: God’s own birthing into the world, taking on flesh to walk among us, redeem us, die for us, and usher us into new life. No longer will God speak from a distance. Through Mary, in Jesus, God will talk to us, touch us, confront us, love us with arms that wrap around rather than simply speak with a distant voice. And God comes into the world as we all do: through a woman.

When Mary hears the angel’s word and responds, “Here am I,” she demonstrates the opening doors of God’s work for all people. No longer will only a select few (men) hear from God and have the chance to respond, “Here am I.” Thanks to Mary’s trust, a new way is opened for God to speak to us in Jesus. If we listen, all of us—men, women, poor, rich, gay, straight, trans, cis—each of us now has the chance to say, “Here am I.”

Listen. Listen for the voice of God calling you today. It may not be as dramatic as Mary’s encounter, but God’s Spirit in Christ calls to you. What is God asking? To what will you say, “Here am I” today?