Have you ever heard or read a story so many times that you think you know everything about it? You can recite it from memory. You can picture all of the details in your mind’s eye. The continuing appeal of the story is found in the nostalgia of remembering it, of replaying the events in your mind. As a means of revealing something new or teaching you something, the power of the narrative is long gone and the story becomes simply an event.
For many of us, part of the difficulty of waiting for Christmas to come is that we are too familiar with the story of Advent. “We know how it all ends,” we think, “so why the delay? Let’s get on with it!” But maybe part of the reason we have to wait is so that we might hear the story afresh.
After all, the basic contours of the story are so ingrained in our consciousness through various carols, cards and decorations that it is all too easy to skim over the details. Even those who don’t believe this Jesus stuff actually happened know the facts of the Christmas story. It’s a rare Scrooge indeed whose heart isn’t moved by the sentiment of the Christmas message—of Emmanuel, of God with us.
But does the story of Advent and Christmas have any relevance to our lives today?
Is there more to the story than we realized or remember?
Has the event of Christmas eclipsed the story of Advent as we prepare to celebrate?
When Mary received the announcement of God’s favor and presence, she pondered the meaning of such news. As God’s story of salvation and redemption continued to unfold in the midst of the story of her own life, through the pregnancy and birth of a son, she continued to reflect on the significance of it all. For Mary, time was a grace that enabled her to ponder the message proclaimed through God’s story. It was in the waiting that Mary found the space to reflect upon what such news meant for her life, the life of her son and the world at large.
As we draw closer to Christmas, may we wait and ponder with Mary. Let us hear afresh her story as we draw closer to Christmas. Together may we discover that there is more to her than just the reverent figure aglow in blue and white that adorns our manger scene. Together may we find that we have more in common with Mary than we dared realize, that her story is our story too.
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