Tuesday, December 11, 2018
by Emily Wilmesherr
Luke 1:39-45
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the
house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her
womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among
women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my
Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.
And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
Elizabeth reminds me of my best friend, Meredith. I know that I can call her anytime and share my
greatest joys and my deepest sorrows. When she gets excited, she just begins to scream, talking so fast
and so loud that I can’t even understand but her words are undoubtedly full of joy. Her excitement is
contagious. She was one of the first people I called to tell about my pregnancy. I was so excited but also
extremely scared of the unknown journey ahead. But in that half hour conversation with my friend, all
of my fears were put aside for a moment as I couldn’t help but focus on the joy. I felt supported and
loved for whatever lies ahead.
Mary has just been given wonderful yet terrifying news that she will be the mother of Jesus and who is
the first person she goes to? Elizabeth. I wonder why Mary chose Elizabeth and not her fiancé or
parents. Who is it that you call when something wonderful or something scary happens? Why do you
call them? For me, I know with Meredith I will always be loved and respected as my full self, I belong. I
believe that is what Mary felt too. Mary knew that she was about to face a lot of criticism, but she had
the support of Elizabeth, someone who believed in the power of God and would love her through it all.
How do we create space for others to feel accepted and know that they belong in our lives, in our
church, in our community?