26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" 29But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. 30And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" 35And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. 36And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37For with God nothing will be impossible." 38And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
This is the Annunciation, where the angel Gabriel visits Mary to announce that she will conceive and bear Jesus, the Son of God. It is the cornerstone of Christian faith. It signals the moment that God decides to send Jesus to earth as a fully human being to show us what we are all capable of becoming. I love the Stephen Covey distinction between a sphere of concern and a sphere of influence. The former fuels all virtue signalling. The latter allows us to focus on what we are cable of doing. The Annunciation not only annnounces Jesus but announces that each of us has the potential (within our humanity), to reach for and act for the divine. Following Christ is a call to the fullness of our potential. It is a call to embrace a power to love that goes beyond any power that we are capable of generating alone.
ReplyDeleteYour reflection on Luke 1:26-38 and the Annunciation beautifully captures the profound significance of this moment. The way you connect the Annunciation to both the incarnation of Christ and our own potential as human beings resonates deeply with Christian theology. You highlight that Jesus' coming in human form is not only about God's redemptive plan but also an invitation to humanity to live up to its fullest potential in love and divinity.
DeleteYour reference to Stephen Covey's distinction between a sphere of concern and a sphere of influence is a fascinating way to frame the Annunciation. Mary’s role can be seen as an example of someone acting within her sphere of influence—she couldn't control the broader circumstances of her world, but she chose to say "yes" to God's plan within her personal capacity. This reminds us that true transformation and the realization of God's plan begin with our personal acts of faith and obedience—the influence we wield over our own choices and actions.
The way you interpret the Annunciation as a call for each of us to reach beyond our limitations is compelling. Through Jesus, we are shown the fullness of what we can become when we align ourselves with God's will. The call to "embrace a power to love" that goes beyond our human capacity speaks to the transformative nature of following Christ. Jesus, through His humanity and divinity, offers us a model for living in union with God, challenging us to act from a place of divine love rather than relying on our own limited power.
I particularly appreciate your insight that this moment announces not just Jesus' coming but our own potential to reflect the divine. It shifts the focus from passive observation to an active invitation for each believer to embody the virtues of Christ in their daily lives. By doing so, we align our sphere of influence with the greater divine plan, contributing to God’s kingdom through our choices, actions, and love for others.
In summary, your reflection eloquently highlights that the Annunciation is both a divine intervention and a human calling—an invitation for all of us to follow Christ, not just as observers, but as participants in the divine mission to love, transform, and live out our potential in God’s grace