Who would we be, and what would we do without the love and support of our family and friends? Countless times, I have run in haste to them to celebrate good times and for support during hard times.  Just like it says in Luke 1, Mary also went with haste to see someone special after receiving incredible news from the angel Gabriel:

 “In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zecheriah and greeted Elizabeth” (Luke 1: 39-40).  

I love the word “haste.” It’s not commonly used anymore, but it inspires a stunning visual of getting up and going out as fast as possible! Mary heard from Gabriel that Elizabeth was pregnant, along with the exciting news of her pregnancy. I think of how incredible it would have been for Mary to know she was not alone; another woman was also about to have a baby. This woman was not a stranger but a cousin and kindred spirit. Elizabeth was somebody who could relate to this new pregnancy and all of the feelings that go with it. How your body changes, the aches and pains, the fears and anxieties about birth, and the precious awareness of the new life inside of you fluttering and kicking! Mary had someone she could get up and run to. A true gift! 

Mary Visits Elizabeth 

 ”In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.  And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?   For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.   And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”  (Luke 1:39-45)

This is one of my favourite moments regarding friendships and relationships in the New Testament. I’ve always loved how Mary was so quick to get up and be with someone she loved and trusted after hearing the good news of what she had been chosen to do. It reminds me of what’s truly important and how nourishing it is to share the significant moments in our lives with our loved ones. I think our society has taken a backseat when it comes to moments like these. Instead of running to our friends and family for support and celebration, we get up and go to our phones, laptops, and desks at work to be alone and deal with these things by ourselves. 

Don’t get me wrong. Sometimes, being alone is exactly what we need to reflect on and spend time alone with God. But too much solitude is never a good thing, and we must learn to be discerning about when to be alone and when to turn to others. When do we run toward other people in haste, people who can surround us with love, know us deeply, pray for us, hold us accountable, and draw us closer to Christ?

As a mother of young adults (and if you’re a mom in this same season reading this right now, you’ll be able to relate!), the idea of face-to-face connection also makes me think about the dating world and how it has vastly changed. Young men and women today can find themselves caught up in the online world to pursue relationships and, therefore, miss out on the vast array of opportunities for organic connections. I am not saying it is a bad way; many people have met their spouses online and have beautiful and loving relationships with them! The underside of this, however, is that it’s taking away young people’s ability to go out and meet others naturally, in groups and situations that interest them. What happened to finding a new hobby, exploring and expanding relationships and building community in person? Connecting with others is now celebrated online in the dark, alone in your room, on your phone. No personal contact, no communication; just a quick swipe happens, based on a photo and a quick description that prompts you to deem that person worthy or unworthy. 

Solitude can be tempting, and while (as I said before) in small doses, it’s a very good thing when taken to an extreme and accompanied by an addiction to online communities and spaces, we can end up missing out on the loving, supportive, challenging, and growth-oriented connections that are formed in person. 

This is why the church is such a valuable thing, yet many view it as just a building full of a dash of guilt and a sprinkle of condemnation hindering an opportunity for the gift of community! You might ask yourself, “Why bother even walking through the front door when you’re just going to be told that you’re a sinner?” or “Why go if I don’t feel worthy?”

These are valid questions, and hearing the truth about our sinful nature is not always fun but life-saving. The best part about the gospel is that we don’t have to stay in that place of sin. How can you change something and work towards being better, if you don’t realize what needs to be changed in the first place? We have to recognize that we are sinners and that sin separates us from a Holy God, and we need to recognize how sin manifests in our life, admit it, repent, and turn from our ways to walk toward Jesus, not away from him. We do this with others in our real-life community! They keep us balanced and grounded and remind us why we’re walking this path because we will stray from it at some point. We need to arise and make haste toward friends and family; we can’t do this alone! 

If you know you need to spend more time with people in real life but don’t know where to start, a church can be a great place to get involved and start to build those connections. It can be challenging and a little scary, especially if you’ve never been in one before, and it can prompt a lot of anxiety and questions. Hope is what we need, and hope is found in Jesus. The church is a gift to us, and it is a gift to hear about His love, character, and saving grace. People are imperfect and will fail us, but Jesus never will. It is worth taking a leap of faith and entering into community!

Mary is a precious example of bravely, willingly, and humbly accepting what the angel told her would happen. And she knew she didn’t have to do it alone. We can all take a bit of comfort and inspiration from her reaction to Gabriel’s news. Of course, she had a legitimate question about how she would conceive a child and still be a virgin! Yet she bravely submitted, she embraced the honour and the task that God had given her to bear His only Son, and then she ran to Elizabeth to celebrate and share the wonderful news. Mary was a courageous servant, loving, tender, willing, open-hearted, and supportive; we see in Luke’s gospel that Mary is someone we can all relate to and aspire to be like. But ultimately, it is Christ we want to emulate. He is the perfect example for us!

It prompts us to ask ourselves: who do we get up and go to in haste?  

If you don’t already have it, I hope you find such a loving community in your life. For me, it has been a game-changer. If you are local, check out Hope Bible Church in Oakville

I am very excited about the last portion of Scripture I am reading: Luke 1:46—56 — Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat. Join me for the last in the series: Joy in the Journey, Part Four! 

 

Here is the latest sermon from Hope Oakville