DAILY BYTEYesterday I made reference to the beautiful insight that emerges out of the Russian Orthodox tradition, and that is that the incarnation of Christ represents the decisive moment in salvation history.
Today, I’d like to develop this thought further by trying to describe, as best I can, a magnificent art piece from that Orthodox tradition. It’s a 12th century icon I saw at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow called ‘The Annunciation’.
If you’d like to look at it online in higher resolution you can follow this link:
It shows, quite simply, the Angel Gabriel appearing to Mary. But if you look at it more closely there is much more to see.
Firstly, Gabriel appears to be floating in the air, while Mary is standing on something solid. She’s grounded where she is, on a square object with four corners, which reminds me of the four corners of the earth. It points to the truth that Mary is human, a creature of the earth, standing where she is in her particular situation. And that is where Gabriel finds her.
It’s a reminder to all of us that God comes to us where we are, reaching out to us where we stand in our particular circumstances, grounded in our reality, rooted in our moment in history.
The second observation I’d like to make about this icon is that Gabriel’s right hand stretches into the space between him and Mary. It stretches out in blessing. But from the story we know that the blessing comes in the form of a risky invitation for Mary to be part of a bold plan of God.
And so it is with us. God reaches out to us in blessing, but only so far, for God will never dominate or coerce us. In reaching out to us, there is an invitation from God for us to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. This is what God’s blessing means.
The third observation I’d like to make about this icon, is that Mary is holding her right hand to her heart, cradling as it were the Christ-child who has already taken form there.
How fascinating that in the very moment that Mary says ‘Yes’ to this risky, but blessed invitation, Christ takes form within her. Likewise when we, like Mary, say ‘Yes’ to God, there is in that moment an incarnation within us, as Christ takes form and shape once again. And with Christ-shaped hearts, there is literally nothing that God cannot do through us.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Help me, today Lord, to say ‘Yes’ to your risky invitation to be part of what you are doing in the world. Help me to see the blessing of having a Christ-shaped heart. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
Luke 1:26-38 (The Message)
In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin's name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her:
Good morning!
You're beautiful with God's beauty,
Beautiful inside and out!
God be with you.
She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.
He will be great,
be called 'Son of the Highest.'
The Lord God will give him
the throne of his father David;
He will rule Jacob's house forever—
no end, ever, to his kingdom."
Mary said to the angel, "But how? I've never slept with a man."
The angel answered,
The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
the power of the Highest hover over you;
Therefore, the child you bring to birth
will be called Holy, Son of God.
"And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God."
And Mary said,
Yes, I see it all now:
I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me
just as you say.
Then the angel left her.
