Advent: God Interrupts!

Most of us hate interruptions, but the advent season is a time to reflect on an interruption. God's interruption. Erupting out of the mercy and grace of God, comes Mary's song, the magnificat! This eruption follows the announcement that comes to Mary, the announcement that she will bear a son, Jesus. God interrupts and Mary sings!

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.

And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever." (Luke 1:46-55)

About this song, Lauren Winner states, "The magnificat is a prayer about God's revolution interrupting not only our tidy, ordered lives but our whole social order. It is a prayer that allows us to see the way that God's reversals and interruptions are already at work in the world and invites us to participate in them."

Check out two articles on Advent by Lauren Winner here.

Artwork: "Annunciation" by He Qi