Advent Devotion – December 12, 2010

Scripture – Luke 1:46–55

The stories of the birth of Jesus are witnesses of the many ways in which people can experience the transformative power of God’s presence in their lives. They also are echoes of the powerful hope this presence imparts to peoples, even in the midst of daily routine and daily experiences. The hopes and expectations of Christmas are rooted in God’s promises of a kingdom full of justice, peace, and fellowship. These hopes and expectations were celebrated, as a foretaste, when Mary sang a song of praise to God for what God has done for her and, through her Son, for the whole of humanity.

This song, following the examples and traditions of older songs in the Old Testament, celebrates God’s transformation of sinful human relationships by vindicating the cause of the lowly and the hungry in accordance with God’s faithful promises to God’s people in the past. Mary’s song is an example of the song Christians still sing today, celebrating in hope and expectation, as well as in concrete acts of kindness, that there is a new future for us all and for our children. Christians can celebrate this healthy, peaceful, and joyful future where we live out our faith and invite others to do so. It is a hope in spite of the difficulties, because this celebration of hope is grounded in God’s faithfulness, God’s love, and God’s grace.

Prayer
Faithful and loving Lord, help us to sing again. Help us to live as your children, celebrating your presence among your people. Help us to live as people whose hope outshines the darkness of the world. Amen.

The Rev. David Cortes-Fuentes, Ph.D., New Testament scholar, consultant, Claremont, California

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