December 17 Advent thoughts
The Angel said to him, ‘I am Gabriel and I stand in the presence of God and I have been sent to speak to you and tell you this good news. And now you will not be able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time. Luke 1:19-20
It wasn’t until 3 years ago when I contracted a rare inner ear virus and lost my hearing temporarily that I gave much thought to Zechariah and his loss of speech and-given how scripture words it later-hearing that I realized how lonely it is to be cut off. To be lost in ones’ own mind, seeing everything going on around you but feeling so isolated and alone. It is depressing and frightening. While much of it is outside of our abilities to control, there is still a lot that we bring on ourselves. We surround ourselves with music-and yet never hear it’s beauty. We stare intently at our phones-even to the point of walking blindly into the street (or in traffic at the Walmart Parking Lot) and don’t see or hear the cars trying to stop. Zechariah is told something glorious by an angel of the Lord while in the most holy part of the temple and that is the last thing he will hear for 9 months. But unlike someone staring at their phone or with their headphones in purposely shutting out the world, he had it taken from him. What must his thoughts have been? How did he handle the loneliness and depression of being cut out? Yes, something truly amazing was happening and he was really just a bystander, able to only watch as others gathered and shared the excitement with Elizabeth and a true miracle unfolded as he watched. Did the angel give him a gift, by forcing him to have to observe, really see? There is much loneliness at this time of year, depression is doubly high with the pressure of what this year has been. But maybe we should take a bit of time, put down our phones, take out our earbuds and take the time to sit in silence and watch and contemplate the season, the time, the reason we celebrate. Maybe in stopping the noise, our eyes will be opened and we too can see the miracle.
Silently, how silently this wondrous gift is given,
So God imparts to human hearts, the blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.
-O Little Town of Bethlehem, written by Phillip Brooks, 1868