Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Reflection for Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

ZEC 2:14-17
RV 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10AB 
JUDITH 13:18BCDE, 19
LK 1:26-38



I am a pessimist.

I’m not proud of it.  I don’t condone it.  But I just am a pessimist.  It’s how my brain works. 

And it’s why I’m good at my job.  When an optimist comes to me with a brilliant plan to revolutionize campus, I am the down-to-Earth voice of reason that reminds them of the time, the talent and the treasure it will cost to bring their vision to life. 

·       Brilliant optimist with a PhD: “I want to launch a research consortium comprised of an interdisciplinary team of grant-funded advocates to end child hunger through increased access to healthy foods.”
·       Me (less educated pessimist): “There’s only 10 minutes left in this meeting.  You’ll need to schedule a 90-minute meeting with the appropriate university decision-makers and community advocates who demonstrate buy-in, and provide a full grant proposal, budget, timeline and FTE requirements.”
·       Brilliant optimist: …K…. “OK, sure.”

I get things done. 

But I feel like the best thinkers of our species are optimists.  The ones who see the possibilities.  The dreamers.  The artists.  The people who cannot help but CREATE something, despite the obstacles and constraints.

Today’s reading – and I’m talking about Luke 1:26-38 here [http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121218.cfm] – is about Mary, who was perhaps the most amazing optimist the planet has ever seen.  The Angel Gabriel approached her with a nutty idea, and it went something like this…. (I’m paraphrasing, ok?)

·       Gabriel: “Hey, you’re a small-town girl from Galilee, and I get that I’m an immortal, ethereal being, but I thought I’d come ask you to parent the Savior of the World.  Does that work for you?”
·       Mary: “Wait, what?”
·       Gabriel [very slowly]: “Would… you... like… to be the mother… of the Christ child?”
·       Mary: “What’s a Christ child? And what was your name again?”
·       Gabriel [slowly again]: “OK, so it’s Gabriel the Archangel.  I’m God’s messenger, I guess.  We are trying to give birth to the Son of Man, which the world needs right now, and we need human mom involved.  So are you in?”
·       Mary: “Uh, you know that I’m 14, right?”
·       Gabriel: “Yeah.  We know that.  We know pretty much everything.”
·       Mary: “And you know that I’m a Virgin, with a capital “V,” and that I’m totally scheduled to get married to this guy name Joseph, right?”
·       Gabriel: “Yup, we know all that.”
·       Mary: “And you know that tradition will call for the people to stone me to death if I’m somehow pregnant before I get married?”
·       Gabriel: “Yeah.  We got some people on it, and we think Joseph’s going to fall in with you, but, I mean, in the end you sort of have to trust us on this one.”
·       Mary: “…K...”
·       Gabriel: “So...???”
·       Mary [pensive]: “……Okay, sure.”
·       Gabriel [incredulous]: “Wait, what did you say?”
·       Mary [confident]: “I said ‘sure.’”
·       Gabriel [freaking out]: “OH MY GOD!  I mean, actually, my GOD is gonna LOSE IT when He hears this!!  I can’t believe you said yes.”
·       Mary: “Yeah well, you better go tell Him about it before I change my mind, messenger.”
·       Gabriel [animated]: “Ok, I’m going.  But this is going to be AMAZING!!  By the way, uh, I’m going to get the Holy Spirit involved.  When the Kid is born – it’s gonna be a boy – just call him Jesus.  The Lord’s going to give him the throne of David and he’ll rule over the House of Jacob forever.  We good?”
·       Mary [non-plussed]: “Yeah.  Sure.  We good.”
·       Gabriel: “Ok great!”  [Gabriel starts to leave but them comes back to Mary.] “Oh, I forgot to tell you this.  You know your elderly cousin, Elizabeth?  She’s also having a baby. [J] This is, sort of, proof that we’re not messing around, here.  You know, A SIGN.”
·       Mary: “Elizabeth is, like, 55 years old.”
·       Gabriel: “I know.  But she’s about 6 months pregnant!” 
·       Mary: “Ok, thanks.  I’ll look into it.”

Mary was the ultimate optimist.  How can we ever approximate that kind of faith?  Thank GOD I wasn’t born into that time as Mary’s friend, because I promise, I would have talked her out of it, and we’d be Saviorless to this day. 

If you are an optimist, today’s readings fortify humanity’s need for people like you.  People who are believers.  Creators.  Dreamers.  People of faith.

If you are a pessimist, like me, today’s reading serves as a reminder to say “yes” to life, now and again.  Let the divine in.  Give way to the Spirit, when it calls.  (And do it without requiring a full proposal and timetable.)  Even better, facilitate your favorite optimist in their most recent hare-brained idea, because they have no idea how to execute their vision.

Maggie Callon is a staff member in the College for Public Health and Social Justice, and works as a Program Coordinator for undergraduate programs in Biostatistics, Health Management, and Public Health.

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