Our Bible reading from the Gospel of Luke brings us to the heart of the matter. We would not have the celebration called Christmas, had there not been a young girl by the name of Mary who was willing to set aside her notions about what was possible and allow God to do an amazing thing through her.

As we read this story, I think a couple of things will be very clear. One, is that there’s probably a whole lot more to this story than Luke has recorded. At the same time, it is a powerful record of an intimate conversation between Mary and the angel, Gabriel. A story that could only have been told to Luke by Mary herself. So, I invite you to listen to Mary’s story.

It’s interesting to me the different attitudes that people take toward Christmas. For some, it's a nuisance—an intrusion, for others a time of stress, for others a time of great wonder and mystery. For instance, two people were standing on the corner of 5th Avenue and 57th Street in New York City during the Christmas rush. One of them was irritated by the traffic. "This town is totally disorganized. Look at the traffic. It's terrible. Something ought to be done about it," he groused

The other man was more philosophical. He countered: "You know, it's astounding the romance of it. There was a baby born of peasant parents in a little out of the way place halfway around the world from here. The parents had no money or social standing, yet two thousand years later that little baby creates a traffic jam on 5th Avenue, one of the most sophisticated streets in the world. This irritates you? It really should fascinate you." (story file, 15.2.4)

It does give one pause, doesn't it? One of the people who finds the impact of Christmas fascinating is talk show host Larry King. ONe time he was asked to choose one person from all of history that he would like to interview. His choice was Jesus Christ. Then he was asked, What is the one question you would like to ask him? Larry King said, "I would ask Him if He indeed was virgin born, because the answer to that would define history for me." How right he is. (story file, 16.2.1)

This is the story that defines history. The history of humankind, and our own personal history as well. It gives us new lenses through which we can see the world and our lives.

And it begins with a young teenage girl, a girl with the same aspirations and goals of any young girl in that time and place. To have a good husband, start a family, create a warm and pleasant home. No doubt she had fantasies of what her children would be like. God willing, they would be strong and healthy. If she were fortunate, the daughters would marry into well-to-do families. The sons would gratefully learn the carpentry trade of their father and help build the family business. Mary was on the threshold of achieving these dreams. For she was engaged to a good man, a carpenter by the name of Joseph.

Her illusion of a simple, happy life was shaken by a messenger from God. Gabriel, who told her that she would not wait till marriage for her first son. God would give her a son. God's son. The angel's message was troubling to say the least. No doubt Mary had many questions to ask him. But the most pertinent seemed to simply be: How? Look, Gabe, I know about the birds and the bees, and I'm engaged to be married. But I have not yet been with a man, if you take my meaning. How can I have a son? If God has sent you, then you must know this, too. God’s power will overcome this barrier, he says. And then Gabriel tells her about her cousin Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant with the baby who would grow up to be John the Baptist.

True to the nature of the One who has sent him, Gabriel does not force the issue. He waits for her answer. And finally, Mary makes "one of the most courageous statements every recorded" (Bruce Larson): "Here I am, the servant of the Lord. Let it be with me according to your word." A simple statement, yet profound in its implications.

Have you thought about what it might be like to be chosen by God for such an important role? To be visited by an angel?

We may fantasize about what would happen if something great like that would happen to us. Maybe your daughter will grow up to be president of the United States. Or your son will be an Olympic gold medallist. Or maybe you'll finally win the lottery. Our fantasies typically feature the gold medals, the notoriety, autobiographies, the bags of money. Seldom do the fantasies include the pain, the discipline, the burden that come along with the blessings. A woman complimented a great concert violinist after a performance, and she said dramatically, "I'd give my life to play the violin like you do." And the musician said, "I did give my life."

Being chosen by God is a little bit like what happens in the TV show Early Edition. Gary Hobson is just an ordinary guy who is chosen by this unusual orange cat to get tomorrow's newspaper today. Would you like to know what is going to be in tomorrow's newspaper? Including the sports scores and the lottery numbers? You could be the richest person around. But that's not what happens with Gary. Because he knows what's going to happen, he goes around trying to save people's lives. He doesn't take his good fortune as a gift for himself, but as a responsibility to do something for someone else. In many respects that newspaper "owns" him. He can't have a normal family life, is always leaving his employees in the lurch. And in many ways tomorrow’s newspaper is a burden.

The TV show is just fantasy, of course. But it makes an interesting point. Being chosen is not all applause and book signings.

There's a great scene in Fiddler on the Roof, where Tevya is shaking his fist at God, and talking about the centuries of struggle and persecution that the Jewish people have gone through. In this conversation Tevya chides God about the notion of Israel being the chosen people. "Sometimes, God, couldn't you choose someone else?

Mary has been chosen by God for a most significant role. And one gets the idea that she knows from the beginning what is profoundly true: a call from God is not just a bed of roses. It's also a great responsibility, and sometimes a burden. For Mary, accepting her call will mean watching her son say and do amazing things, things that would make any mother proud. She will see crowds gather at his feet. And she will experience times of distance and withdrawal, as his priorities take him from her. She will hear him ridiculed and see people spit at him. She will see death stalking him throughout his life. Her heart will be pierced with grief time and time again. And finally, she will see him hang on a cross and die.

Being chosen by God is not for wussies. It's a tough road.

But there is another reality for those who are chosen by God. Gabriel speaks about this awesome truth in a couple of different ways. "Greetings, favored one, the Lord, is with you," he says as his opening line. The Lord is with you. That seems to be a favorite line of the messengers of God. And it's said almost matter-of-factly, as if that should be enough. If the Lord is with you, you don't need anything else. Gabriel tells her why that’s the case: "nothing will be impossible with God." It will not be impossible for Elizabeth to conceive in her old age. And it will not be impossible for Mary to conceive without the help of a man. It will not be impossible for this baby to change the course of history. And it will not be impossible for this baby to change the course of your life.

With God nothing will be impossible. The one who spoke the world into existence is the one and only one who can make something out of nothing.

One day a group of scientists got together and decided that humankind had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one scientist to go and tell Him that they were done with Him. The scientist walked up to God and said, "God, we've decided

that we no longer need you. We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just go on and get lost."

God listened very patiently and kindly to the man. After the scientist was done talking, God said, "Very well, how about this? Let's say we have a man-making contest." To which the scientist replied, "Okay, great!" But God added, "Now, we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam." The scientist said, "Sure, no problem," and

bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt. God looked at him and said, "Huh-uh! You go get your own dirt!" (parables, etc. 19.10.3)

God is the one—the only One, who can make something out of nothing. Life out of death, hope out of despair.

In light of Mary’s story, it seems to me that the obvious question to ask is, "What does God want to bring to birth in me? In us?" What is the unique role that God is asking me to take on? Are there barriers, impossibilities even, that stand in the way of this happening?

God is still the same God who made the world out of nothing. The same God who made a baby in a virgin’s womb. As with Mary, God will not force us. God invites, God encourages, God waits. What was true for her will be true for our life as well. When we accept the call of God, miracles will abound, but we will have pain as well as great joy. What we can learn from Mary is the posture of readiness and the attitude of surrender. "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." It is then that we will discover that God is with us, and it is then that we will discover that this is enough.