12/20/20 “Live the Impossible” by Nancy E. Petty
Luke 1:26-38
Stories are written down and recorded to teach us about life. You can’t throw a harpoon without hitting a life lesson in Moby Dick. As Ahab’s crazed pursuit of the white whale continues, Ishmael goes on a parallel quest to determine the meaning of life. He learns about friendship and sacrifice from his friend Queequeg. He learns about the mysteries of life from the strange and mysterious sea. Ultimately, he learns the danger of following an unworthy leader…the hard way. In Huckleberry Finn, Huck figures out that sometimes society has it all wrong, sometimes you just have to follow your heart. Or consider Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a story that reminds us that people should treat one another fairly, as equals, and with respect, and not be blinded by prejudice towards others of different race, color, background or creed. The story shows the nature of a community where such prejudices are rife, and the serious consequences of being prejudice.
Our sacred literature, the Bible, is no different. It teaches us about life’s morals and what it means to live a life of faith. It is easy to get so caught up in the story that we miss the lessons. We focus on the details, arguing about whether or not they are literally factual or scientific provable and we miss the lesson the story is trying to teach us. How many books have been written about the factual and/or scientific probability of the resurrection without ever discussing how resurrection takes place in our lives, not in literal ways but in spiritual and soulful ways? We ask, “Did the bush really burn without being consumed?” instead of asking “What did the burning bush symbolize?” Is the real lesson in whether or not the Red Sea really parted or is the lesson in asking what does it mean for God to make a way for God’s people?
The story we have heard this morning, The Annunciation – the angel appearing to Mary to announce she will give birth to a baby – is such a story. It is an astoundingly beautiful story with several astoundingly beautiful life lessons about faith; and yet, much of Christian history and theology has focused on either legitimizing or de-legitimizing how the story is told. The question of Mary’s virginity has taken central stage in theological discourse. Scholars and preachers have focused more on is the question “Is it necessary to believe in the virgin birth?” than what it means to say “yes” to God. Then there is the question of fatherhood. Is the Holy Spirit the father or is Joseph? Is this child to be born wholly divine or fully human or both? I wonder how Christian history and theology would have shaped a different kind of faith had it focused more on the spiritual lessons of Mary’s encounter with the angel rather than on ecclesiastical machinations that has produced a theology focused on “I’m right, you’re wrong” and “If you don’t believe this then you’re not a Christian” kind of theology and faith.
When I was in seminary, I loved these theological debates and conversations. I still love them. But I will admit, what I now know, that I didn’t know then is that they don’t define my faith. Yes, they are interesting questions to think about; and I can still find such conversations enlightening and enlivening. They can spark the imagination and point to other important questions of faith. But the point is not the details of these ancient stories told and written from a different time and culture and place. It is the meaning they hold – the life lessons that are timeless and without boundary to place or context or culture.
Consider this: Is the lesson that an angel mysteriously appeared to a Mary to make this announcement or is the lesson one of learning to listen to God’s still small voice within us that leads us to saying “yes” to God? Is the lesson that Mary was a virgin or is the lesson of faith one that teaches us that when we open our heart to God extraordinary things happen? Is the lesson to “not fear or not be afraid” because someone else tells us that or is the lesson one that teaches us that we don’t have to be afraid when we believe and trust that we are truly and fully God’s beloved?
I love this story. I love the way it is told in our sacred scriptures. But I don’t like the way it has been used to define one’s true and faithful allegiance to God and to the Christian faith. Just like I don’t like the way the Creation story or story of the great flood or the Resurrection story and all the other astoundingly beautiful stories of our faith have been used as a litmus test to define one’s commitment to God and their faith. I prefer the life lessons they teach us about how to live the impossible: like how to choose love instead of fear, grace and forgiveness instead of revenge, openness in the place of judgment, validation rather than blame, truth rather than deceit, hope rather than despair, promise and possibility rather than prejudice.
As Mary was still pondering this message from the angel (or that knowing inside of her), and wondering how her elder cousin Elizabeth could also be pregnant, she asked, “How can all of this be?” To which she heard these words: “Nothing will be impossible with God.”
Had I been the angel speaking to Mary I might have added one thing to the proclamation: “Nothing will be impossible with God and with a community of people who believe that love is stronger than fear.” That is my personal testimony and witness. Had someone said to me 28 years ago that I, an out lesbian, would be the pastor of an historic Baptist church in the South I would have said, “No way, it’s not possible.” But with God and a community of people who believe that love is stronger than fear, here I am; and here we are.” Nothing is impossible with God and love.
But it’s not just my testimony and witness. It is yours also, the people of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church. You have lived the impossible because you have trusted and believed that God’s love is the way, the truth, and the life. And you have not wavered from living the impossible as you have grounded yourselves in a radical love and welcome.
And now, we are being called again to live the impossible as we – a predominately white church – begin the work of becoming an antiracist church. Some would say that it will be impossible for a 135 year-old predominately white Baptist Church in the South to do the work it needs to do to become an antiracist church. Some will say that to racially and ethnically integrate a 135 year-old predominately white Baptist Church in the Deep South will be impossible. After all, the roots of white privilege that have grown deep for 135 years and to share the soil with new roots ready to sprout will not be easy. Can we live into the discomfort? Can we live with the questions we will need to ask? Can we stay centered and grounded in love, not fear? Can we listen to the messengers God will send our way? When we become perplexed can we know that we are God’s beloved, favored ones?
These are the very things that Mary had to wrestle with when the angel appeared to her. Can you imagine what it took for her – a young unmarried woman hearing that she will conceive and bear a son whose name will be Jesus, the Son of the Most High, the one who will sit on the throne of David, who will reign over the house of Jacob forever, whose commonwealth will be without end – to believe that all of this was possible. In fact, it was hard for Mary to believe at first. She asked the angel: “How can this be?”
The story of The Annunciation teaches us that it “can be” because with God nothing is impossible; and when you add to that a community of people who believe in the power of God’s love for all, all things are possible – even for a white church in the South to become an antiracist church. The story of Christmas is asking us to live the impossible. The story of Christmas is not about a virgin birth. It’s about one brave woman saying “yes” to living the impossible. The story of Christmas is not about living in fear. It is about living in love and trusting that love to do impossible things—things that other people say can’t be done. The story of Christmas is not about debating who the father of Jesus is. It is about God’s Holy Spirit making all things human divine. The story of Christmas is not about a supernatural miracle. It is about the mystery of all things being possible with God and God’s love. The central affirmation of The Annunciation and furthermore the entire Christmas story that follows is that “nothing is impossible with God.”
I believe in the people of this church to live this story far beyond December 25th, for we have been doing so for over a decade. And yet, we must confess that we are in the process of ever-becoming. I believe in our church’s willingness and commitment to do the work to more fully live the impossible as we seek to be a church for all people—black, brown and white; undocumented citizens and documented citizens; binary, non-binary, gender non-conforming beautiful unique individuals; seekers and believers; the poor and low-wealth as well as the rich. The love that came into the world in the birth of baby Jesus didn’t come for just a season. The love that came into the world when Jesus was born came for all time. And when we live the impossible we are being that love in the world today. We, like Mary, are saying yes to birthing that love. Let us never falter in living the impossible for it is the story of Christmas, it is the story of our faith!
