12-22-24 “When Faith Moves Us”

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“When Faith Moves Us”

I’d like to start with something funny I found on an internet site. A couple was driving down the road when they came across a sign that said, “Nacogdoches, forty miles ahead.” They began arguing about how to correctly pronounce “Nacogdoches.” The husband got so upset that he told his wife, “When we get to the town, Ill prove you wrong!” They drove silently for the next thirty minutes.
When they arrived, the husband pulled the car over at the first fast-food restaurant. Both marched up to the counter, and the husband said to the young woman working there. “My wife and I have been arguing for thirty minutes. “Would you please tell us, very slowly and very clearly, how to pronounce the name of this place?” The young woman’s eyes got really big, and leaning over the counter, and she said, “Bur~ger~ King.”

What’s important here isn’t the couple’s story but how it resonates with us. How often do we get distracted by small things? This season of Advent calls us to focus on what truly matters.

Today, we lit the fourth candle of love, which reminds us of God’s profound love for humanity, revealed in Jesus Christ. Today’s scripture invites us into a moment of joyful expectation—a meeting between Mary and Elizabeth, charged with the Holy Spirit and overflowing with faith.

The passage begins with Mary setting out in haste to visit Elizabeth. This wasn’t just a casual trip—it was a journey of faith.
Imagine Mary, a teenage girl recently engaged to Joseph through her parents’ arrangement. She hadn’t truly met or spent time with her fiancé. Then, one day, an angel appeared to her, saying:
“By the grace of God, you will bear a child, and you shall name him Jesus.” Mary likely felt more fear than joy. She would have been acutely aware of societal norms—being an unwed mother could bring shame, end her engagement, and lead to rejection. Even though the angel assured her the child was conceived by God’s grace, she knew people might not believe her. At that time, being an unwed mother could even result in the severe punishment of stoning.

In her fear, the angel Gabriel reassured her: “Your relative Elizabeth, in her old age, has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Hearing this, Mary responded with faith: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”

Mary’s faith moved her through fear, suspicion, and into trust. She immediately set out to visit Elizabeth. As Adam Hamilton writes in Prepare the Way for the Lord, Elizabeth and Mary were not only relatives but also shared a mentor-mentee relationship. Mary likely sought spiritual advice and encouragement from Elizabeth, running to her without hesitation.

Advent calls us to movement, too—not just physical but spiritual. Mary’s journey reminds us that faith often requires stepping out of our comfort zones and seeking those who affirm and encourage us in our calling.

When Mary arrived, Elizabeth’s greeting was profound. The child in her womb, John the Baptist, leapt for joy. This moment was more than a family reunion—it was the meeting of two miracles. Elizabeth, once barren, carried the forerunner of Christ. Mary, a young virgin, bore the Savior. Both women were living testimonies that nothing is impossible with God.

Where have you seen God’s miraculous work in your life? Advent is a time to reflect on how God has surprised us with grace and provision.
Elizabeth’s response is deeply moving. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” Her words were a prophetic blessing, recognizing Mary’s story before she even shared it. Elizabeth also honored Mary’s faith:
“Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

This reminds us of the power of belief. Mary could have doubted or resisted Gabriel’s message, but her faith allowed her to embrace the unknown and trust in God’s promises.

Adam Hamilton quotes Frederick Buechner in Wishful Thinking: “Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.”
Let me share a story. Last summer, on my way home from playing ping-pong, I noticed beautiful yellow wildflowers by the roadside. I pulled over to take a closer look and took a photo to identify them later. As I drove home, I felt something moving in my pants—on my ankle, then up my leg! It wasn’t long before I figured it out: I’d picked up a tick. That little tick kept me focused and moving until I dealt with it.
Doubts, like that tick, make us move. They unsettle us, prompting us to seek answers. In a sense, doubts are the starting point of faith—a station on the journey that motivates us to grow.

What doubts do you hold right now? Though they may feel like obstacles, they can propel your faith forward.
This Advent season, let’s reflect: Like Mary, are we moving in faith toward what God is calling us to do? Are we attuned to the Spirit’s work, ready to leap with joy when we encounter Christ? Are we surrounding ourselves with people like Elizabeth, who affirm and celebrate God’s work in us?

In these final days of Advent, may we embody the joyful expectation we see in Mary and Elizabeth. Let our faith move us. May our hearts leap with joy, and may we find strength in the community of believers. This is the season to share the love of God. Jesus brings love to the homebound, the lonely, and those seeking to be loved—through us. Blessed are you who share God’s love with one another. Let your faith move you to bring joy and love to yourself and others.

Thanks be to God. Amen!