34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Yesterday I was with a friend who just recently got engaged. Five years ago his wife passed away and two years ago he had no sense or notion that he would not spend the rest of his remaining days alone. Then suddenly things changed, Cupid struck, and he's soon to be moving into a Methodist parsonage -- a pastor's spouse-to-be!
I thought of what one of my childhood pastors liked to say, "God's middle name is Surprise."
An old woman said to be barren is suddenly pregnant. Holy Saint Viagrus! And a virgin is pregnant with child! And God will be born of Mary! Surprise!
Auden wrote:
How can the Eternal do a temporal act
The Infinite become a finite fact?
Nothing can save us that is possible.
A rod shoots forth from the barren bough. A branch grows up from the hidden roots. The rose blossoms pink and beautiful in December chill. Nothing is impossible with God.
For God's middle name really is Surprise.
And ours is Delight.
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