God's Love Cradles Our Fear
December 8, 2020
Tara Dull
“Don’t be afraid,” the angel Gabriel says to Mary. “God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.” The Gospel of Luke then describes a joyful Mary embracing her cousin Elizabeth with a song of praise: “From now on all people will call me happy, because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me.” We still sing the Magnificat today, perhaps picturing a beaming and confident Mary, wide-eyed in wonder and anticipation.
We can imagine that Mary did feel awe-struck and exuberant at this news. At the same time, we know that Mary has just learned that she is facing a very, very unplanned pregnancy. She will have to gently explain to her shocked parents that the wedding they’ve planned has suddenly become extremely complicated. She will have to notify her fiance that he is not the biological father. Given the fact that they were betrothed, Joseph had the right to accuse Mary of adultery, punishable by death by stoning. No doubt, an unplanned pregnancy in first century Palestine would have been a trauma.
Given the fact that the author of Luke’s gospel was male and had never experienced an unplanned pregnancy, it’s not surprising that we only hear Mary’s joyful singing. Yet we can imagine the flood of anxiety that gripped Mary. Are my parents furious with me, and ashamed of how I’ve tarnished our family’s reputation? Do friends and neighbors judge me as an unfaithful woman? Will my husband ever trust and love me? Love this child? Yes, it’s easy to imagine Mary’s tears, loneliness, despair, and...fear.
Over the years as an adoption social worker, I’ve seen up close women facing unplanned pregnancies. I have seen the tears, loneliness, despair, and fear. Surely those are natural, human responses. Ones that Mary shared with us. So often during Advent we look to Mary as the beatific servant, enthusiastically heeding Gabriel’s command, “Be not afraid.” We paint her as fearless. As if her fearlessness was a sign of faithfulness. Yet we know that feeling fear does not mean we’re not trusting God. Fear and trust often hold hands.
God cradles us in love. God also cradles our fear. God holds our fear with us. And God reminds us of this in our beautiful Sunday morning liturgy “My love is stronger than your fear. And have promised to be always near.”
Mothering God, may we abide in peace knowing you forever cradle us in all of our fears.
