It’s been a hard year for some of us, and many wonder about the future. We witness physical and spiritual violence happening from the halls of power to our home hallways. We work to curb climate change and lift up healthcare for all. We live with disease and dis-ease. There are too many worries to name in one paragraph, so you can name your own…
Mary, mother of Jesus, also faced hardship. Living in a country occupied by militaristic powers, she suddenly found herself pregnant and unmarried, a precarious situation for anyone, but particularly for a woman in first century Judea. And yet, we have this story of Mary breaking into a song of hope. She’s reaching for survival—not just for herself, but for her child and her nation.
As Mary experienced inspiration to get her through that situation, we’re singing songs of survival throughout Advent this year. Music can express so much: our hope, our rage, our belief, our bitterness, our doubt, our longing. Through Advent we’ll be singing familiar carols and new songs of courage. We are reaching for God’s future. Whatever you need in this season, I pray you might come and share it among your community of faith as we live in expectation of God-with-Us, Emmanuel.
