The idea of being part of something vast is encouraging; the writer to the Hebrews talks about the cloud of witnesses all around giving encouragement to believers to throw off the weight of sin and its entanglements to run the race to Christ. Being entirely unathletic I have never found the ‘race’ an appealing image but I can still relate to the point made. To know that one is not alone is a source of real encouragement.
Today there are two extremes in my mind.
This is the feast day of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, seen in a particular way by Roman Catholics. Protestants, including Methodists, recognise the Virgin Birth but do not keep the feast day as our Roman Catholic friends keep it. However you think of Mary, the mother of Jesus, you are sure to see her as a crucial part of the narrative of Advent and key to the Christmas story.
On 15th November this year, it is believed that somewhere in the global south, possibly the Dominican Republic a baby was born who would nudge total global population over the eight billion marker line. It is not really possible to be absolutely confident though. Somewhere, someone has the honour of being the person who, by the accident of the moment of their birth, was instant history.
In today’s passage from Ephesians 1, in verse 4 we read, ‘He [God] chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight’. This is the point of the cloud, it is amorphous but every member of it is chosen by God. Mary has a special part to play in Advent messaging but when it comes to being called, whoever you are, whatever your number in the roll of global population, you are potentially part of God’s purpose.
Jesus came into the world. His mother was the vehicle of his birth but he died for you, me and the eight billionth baby every bit as much as for her. It is good to be in that cloud.
A Prayer
This Advent as remind ourselves and others that there is room for us all, help us to celebrate the uniqueness of our calling and rejoice that you know us all by name, whoever we are. Amen.