Do you remember the Claymation Christmas special? It was aired in 1987 and won an Emmy. In celebration of Epiphany, here is their version of the hymn “We Three Kings.”
We Three Kings: Claymation Style
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Kon Ducki (1992)
This Tiny Toon Adventures short pairs Plucky Duck and Hamton J. Pig together as Plucky stars as Captain Pluck who vows to prove to the Explorer’s Club that when his ancestors migrated to Salinas, they did not fly, but sailed. He and his side-kick Koom-Bye-Ya, which is portrayed as Hamton J. Pig. And for comic relief, there is Sweetie Bird. Just as the original Looney Tunes shorts were often parodies of movies, Kon Ducki is a parody of the 1950 film Kon Tiki.
Captain Pluck and his small crew carry with them everything that his ancestors would have taken when migrating in 1977, complete with hamburger helper and cheese wiz. When things on the voyage get a little too shaking, in a classic Daffy Duck move, Plucky no longer wants to be the leader. He instead allows Hamton to be the leader. This way, if something goes wrong, it is Hamton’s fault, not Plucky’s. Instead, Hamton makes good decisions and realizes that he is good at being a leader. Plucky grabs his hat back from Hamton, the symbol of leadership, and resumes commands.
Plucky’s style of leadership tends to be consumed with opening a bottle of mango juice while the others do all the work. Hamton is more of a servant, doing what no one else is willing to do. When Hamton is given the chance to lead, he does so without cracking under the pressure, makes solid decisions, and in this short, even gains a profit.
What is great about this short is that Tiny Toon writers Sherri Stoner, Peter Hastings, and Stephen Hibbert capture the essence of Chuck Jones‘ Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. Jones wrote in his book Chuck Amuck, “Daffy Duck is simply trying to get ahead; Porky in his adult life is simply a bemused spectator of the human scene.” This was true in the endless shorts that the two characters were paired in, especially Jones’ Robin Hood Daffy, and Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century. Plucky and Hamton do the same here in this short. Plucky trying to prove himself as an explorer, and Hamton grateful for the life experience.
Chuck Jones has said that “Within all of us dwells a Daffy Duck.” And a Plucky Duck, and a Hamton J. Pig. Which are you? Are you Plucky striving to get ahead and make a name for yourself? Or are you Hamton making the best of each moment and willingly serving others?
Christmas decor 2012
This year, I had grand visions of decorating my front door for Christmas. Once you spend a few minutes hours on Pinterest, you tend to get a little ambitious. Honestly, I was tired of the same old thing and wanted to do something different than the traditional red bows on green garland. I decided to use teal as the primary color with gold, silver, white, and mossy green accent. I added other elements as I went along. I made a sheet music (old hymnal pages) tree using a tutorial on Pinterest, so I picked out some music note ribbon for the project as well. I found teal glittery magnolias, which acted as a nod to my Louisiana roots.
To create the garland for the door, I used:
-three strands of wired garland (while it required extra work to twist the three strands together, I already had this garland on hand)
-mossy green burlap table runner (used for our wedding in April, bought from save-on-crafts)
-4″ gold deco mesh
-2″ music note wired ribbon
-floral wire
I began by measuring my door. Because we have a screen door, I had to measure far enough outside the screen door so that the door would not hit the garland when opening and closing. I measured about 25′ and used this as my guide. The garland ended up laying on the ground about a foot on each side, but I like that look, so it all worked out.
I laid out my supplies running down our hallway.
I first gathered and twisted the three small strands of wired garland together, simply pinching the wiring together. I measured out the center of the garland and began attaching the burlap so it would make a nice header. To attach the burlap, I would fold it back and forth and then run a piece of floral wire through the holes, wrap the wire around the garland and twist to secure. I made sure to gather the burlap and wire at the corners so it would fall nicely and frame the door. It is important to leave some poof in the burlap to get desired effect. I then crisscrossed the deco mesh over the burlap puffs attaching with floral wire.
It looked like this…
The hard part at this point was deciding what and how much to add. I tend to stick to simple, so I really had to push myself on the embellishments to get the look I desired (aka, the one in my head). I decided to add the 2″ music note ribbon which lightened up the green and added some dimension. After both ribbons were on, Jason and I hung it outside using coat hanger wire. Because we have a brick house, we hung the wire from the soffit. We secured the sides with command hooks to give it more stability.
I added glittered teal magnolias, ornament clusters and glittered teal pine cone clusters- attaching them with floral wire and gold ribbon.
Our front porch greyhound also got a fancy magnolia collar with gold ribbon.
I also made a wreath out of the burlap, 4″ music note ribbon and deco mesh. I used a wire wreath form as the base and bunched and wired the burlap to the frame. I made a simple bow and added it. Only small problem with this wreath- is is so big that it barely fits between our door and screen door.
I planned to decorate our mantle as well. The teal went well with our blue heron print above the fireplace as well as my vase from Willow House. I bought this faux icy garland last year at Michael’s. I attached it below the mantle this year with command hooks. In these pictures you can also see my sheet music tree, and filled vases with ornaments.
This cross with an angel in the center was a wedding gift. It is paper mache’ and the distressed quality worked perfectly with the look I was going for and it fit our giant new tree.
I was really happy with how everything turned out in the end.
Merry Christmas!
2012 Top Ten Posts
Here are the top ten most read posts of 2012.
10. Guest Post: Park View Community Mission. Lee Ann Powers, an member of Christ Community United Methodist Church in Lynchburg wrote about the mission of Park View Community Mission, a Lynchburg District mission. Lee Ann writes passionately about this ministry and links this work to the work of the early Christians as evident in Acts. Lee Ann is a student of Eastern Mennonite Seminary and is on the deacon track.
9. Waiting is Hard. This was my only Advent post for 2011, but it was viewed a bunch of times this year. I write about not passively waiting, but waiting while actively being about kingdom work. The disciples felt asleep, are we falling asleep as well?
8. Sex in Heaven? The title, I’m sure, is what made this one get so many views. A friend shared a story about what a question raised in a Bible study with older adults. I thought it was worth sharing.
7. Religious Respect? I wrote this after a news story came out that US military personnel burned copies of the Koran. Why do we disrespect one religion by using another? This post also received the most comments in 2012.
6. Wedding Planning: the invitation. I’m actually surprised there weren’t more wedding planning posts in this list. But a lot of them were posted in 2011 and seen then. Megan and I were married in April of 2012, and a lot of people were keeping up with our plans via our blog.
5. Looking through a . . . peephole? This was a quote shared with me by one of my former youth group students. I came across it randomly one day.
4. Team Snoopy. I have been writing for Hollywood Jesus.com, and one of the perks is I am sent DVDs to review for the site. This was one of those reviews. In the review I draw a connection between Charlie Brown and Habakkuk and the lessons we can learn from both.
3. Faith Fumes. This was a devotion I had written in early 2012. In it, I compare our spiritual life running on fumes, like we tend to do with our gas tanks. In fact, I was doing that this morning. I share the General Rules from John Wesley that help us keep our tank full.
2. Empty Pages. I wrote this post back in May of 2011. I found some old journals I had kept one day and after looking through them, I reflected on the empty (and not so empty) pages in those journals. Journal writing has been an important element of my spirituality.
1. How to Care for Introverts. I stumbled upon this graphic on Facebook. It is so true! As an introvert, I agree with each of these 12 points. Someone has randomly posted this on Pintrist, so I welcome all those who find me through Pintrist.
My 2012 in Pictures
Gallery
This gallery contains 12 photos.
Wesley Covenant Prayer
- I am no longer my own, but thine.
- Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
- Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
- Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,
- exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
- Let me be full, let me be empty.
- Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
- I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
- And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
- thou art mine, and I am thine.
- So be it.
- And the covenant which I have made on earth,
- let it be ratified in heaven.
- Amen.
as used in the Book of Offices of the British Methodist Church, 1936
Old Glory (1939)
This animated short was released in Los Angeles on July 1, 1939, just a few days before the celebration of the 4th of July. The animation is realist, which was director Chuck Jones’ style at this time of his career. It was often described as a Disney-like style, which is why the Studio asked him to work on this project. And with good reason. The studio did not want this short to be looney, but to be a message to the American people.
As Old Glory opens, a wide-eyed, child-like Porky Pig is learning the Pledge of Alliance. “I don’t see why I have to learn that,” he muses. Porky falls asleep there in the school yard, with his text book wide open. Uncle Sam, the iconic symbol of patriotism, appears to Porky in a dream. Uncle Sam moves Porky through early American history, from Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty”, to Paul Revere’s call to arms. As the short moves into the signing of the Constitution, there is an emphasis on freedom of religion, freedom of press, and freedom of speech. Uncle Sam’s history lesson covers the American Revolutionary War to the expansion of the American old west. The short highlights two great Americans, George Washington who “laid the foundation of a great democracy ” and Abraham Lincoln who gave a “new birth of freedom.”
When Porky wakes up from his dream, he is convinced that learning the Pledge is important because it represents the great history of the country. He has been converted by Uncle Sam to the civil religion. But we’re not talking the Sarah Palin-moose-hunting-while-putting-on-lipstick-while-reciting-the-pledge kind of civil religion.
In 1939 lives were disrupted and families faced separation. Hitler was rising in power and influence in Germany. On September 1st of that year, Hitler’s troops conquered Poland in the Blitzkrieg, or “lightning war.” This would be the spark for the second World War, that would send many young men overseas. In the meantime, the United States was still suffering under the effects of the Great Depression. In 1939, close to 10 million people were unemployed.
Following this short, there would be dozens and dozens of shorts made by Warner Bros. and Disney to raise awareness and support for the government during war time. Why? To encourage unity among the country. The country needed to work together to rise out of the grips of the Great Depression and the country would need to do the same as it faced some of her greatest enemies.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
In the third installment of the Terminator films, we find a John Connor (Nick Stahl) who is no longer 13, and “lives off the grid.” John is a young adult living on the streets, no phone, no home, nothing. He is working in manual labor, recalling the past through a voice over narration. “They tried to kill me,” he says, “before I was born, and again when I was 13.”
“I feel the weight of the future,” John narrates at the beginning of the film. “So I keep running.” He is running from the vocation that has chosen him and from the terminators that may be coming to kill him. We see him next as he is breaking into a veterinarian’s office in the hopes of finding drugs. Evidence of how far he is willing to go to relieve some of the weight he is experiencing.
In the meantime, a T-X has been sent from the future. The T-X is even more deadly and destructive than the T1000 in T2. The T-X has arrived to kill not John Connor, but other resistance leaders of the future. SkyNet has taken a different approach. John Connor is no longer a priority, it is the other young adults who are his followers who will be leaders of the movement.
hollywoodjesus.com
One of these leaders is Kate Brewster played expectantly well by Claire Danes. Kate is getting married and has a somewhat estranged relationship her father. She is a vet, who answers an emergency call in the middle of the night. When she arrives at the clinic she finds a high John, whom she locks into a dog kennel. While attempting to calm a distressed cat owner, Kate comes face-to-face with the T-X.
The T-101 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) arrives in his usual nude way. After gleaning clothes from a stripper at a ladies’ night bar, he sets out to find and rescue Kate from the T-X. He also has to rescue John.
T-101: John Connor, it is time.
John: Are you here to kill me?
T-101: No. You must live.
John assumes his future-self sent the terminator as he did in the last film. But it was actually Kate who sent him. While running away from the T-X, John and Kate learn a lot about their future together from the T-101. Most surprisingly they learn that SkyNet still rises to power.
As Kate runs for her life, her General father is battling an unknown virus spreading quickly through the computers. They have a “secret weapon” they have developed that could take care of this virus. Kate’s father, General Robert Brewster, is high up in the federal government who has the ability to tell the Pentagon no, they will not release SkyNet to deal with a major computer virus. His job is actually a cover up for a top-secret security work, which will become important when our three heroes discover that a nuclear holocaust is upon them. Eventually, though, his hands are tied. SkyNet is release, however, instead of destroying the virus, it takes over all the machines.
While this is not the best of the Terminator films, it is still worth watching a few times. The CGI used in this film makes the first two look antique. And the film continues in developing John Connor as a Christ-figure.
“They tried to kill me before I was born.”
As John tries to explain the situation to Kate, he tells her, “Imagine that you were going to do something important with your life.” This line sums up John’s story perfectly. His life is at stake because he is going to do something important with his life. It is his life will save humanity, in the fullness of time. In the first Terminator film, the objective was to kill Sarah Connor in order to ensure that John Connor, savior of the world, does not come to be. In Matthew’s gospel, Mary and Joseph are informed by the wise men that King Herod is planning to kill all the Jewish baby boys. King Herod wants to ensure that no future leader rises against his rule. Mary and Joseph along with the infant Jesus escape the genocide by fleeing into Egypt. At one point T-101 tells John that he will die, which is why Kate is the one who sent T-101 to the past. It alludes to the fact that John gives his own life to save that of others.
“It is your destiny.”
hollywoodjesus.com
John Connor has a purpose in life. A vocation that the whole world depends on, whether they know it or not. He has a hard time, however, accepting the fact that he will be kept in the equivalent of a “safe house.” As the apocalypse of the computer-age gets underway, Robert Brewster tells Kate of a secret underground weapons control facility. She and John head there. These scenes were actually filmed on location at a decommissioned federal control center in West Virginia.
This underground center could symbolize the tomb of Jesus Christ. It will be after this tomb experience that a new life will be found. Not necessarily an easier one, which speaks volumes to the human condition. While new life is apart of the journey of humanity, it does not always mean life will be easier. Life is still hard. Life is still challenging. Life is still a battle between good and evil.
The greater lesson that John learns is that the person he is now, is not the person he will become. That is the good news about new life. We are becoming into someone new, transforming the old. He is becoming the one who will bear salvation for the world.
“You’re terminated.”
hollywoodjesus.com
The T-X is evil, no doubt about it. She is an agent of SkyNet, which is the big bad in the film. It is not a mistake that the enemy takes on the shape and appearance of a human. She looks like one of us. “And no wonder!” Paul writes to the Corinthians, “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14, Common English Bible). The T-X can take on the appearance of others. At one point she becomes Kate in an attempt to trick Kate’s father. This enemy is deadly and determined to put an end to any possibility of salvation. She does not want there to be salvation. Her mission is to eliminate the possibility of hope.
This hope, however, is not lost. It is while John and Kate are in the underground control center, with computers that are thirty years old, that voices from across the country are heard. They found a radio range that SkyNet did not affect and they call out for anyone else who might be out there. And through these radio waves, the people hear the voice of John Connor, from the walls of a borrowed tomb, offering them hope in the midst of destruction and judgment.
HIMYM 8.11 & 8.12: The Final Page
This is the HIMYM episode I’ve been waiting for. This is the turning point in the series. The show (and Barney) is read to take its commitment seriously. We have been patiently waiting for the proposal since the beginning of season seven when we first saw Robin in her wedding gown. And what a wait. After weeks of thinking that Barney was losing his mind or over-correcting, we learn that it was all a part of the last Play in the Playbook. These two episodes, the last of 2012, has more to offer than just Barobin, or Ronery?
The Jinx
The episode starts with a jinx. Barney takes it seriously, and will not speak again until someone says his name. Remember, grade school? Barney didn’t do this a few seasons ago, and he got hit by a bus. The lesson here, my friends, take that jinx seriously. Barney spends the bulk of part one not speaking, which allows Neil Patrick Harris to deliver some great comedy moments. The whole jinx thing reminds us how childlike the gang is, and that in the midst of adulthood, we too can be like children.
And this is not always a bad thing. As adults, we tend to get too serious. Being childlike opens our eyes and hearts to other possibilities. The characters are always searching for that balance of being an adult in an adult world, while also being childlike.
The Pit
Ted’s GNB tower is finally going to be opened and revealed. A big gala has been planned for the big night. Ted sends an invitation to his architecture professor (Peter Gallagher) with hopes that he will approve. Ted’s memory of this professor is telling him that he will never be an architect. Clearly, he was wrong, and Ted wants him to know it. The gang tell him that this professor is his “Pit Guy.”
from Silence of the Lambs
Your “Pit Guy” is the person you would like to push into a pit, think Silence of the Lambs. Ted has an emotional need to prove to his professor, not only that he did become an architect, but that he’s a good one. Ted is not the only one with a “Pit Guy.” Robin tells them that this whole pit thing is silly and that she doesn’t have anyone like that. Lily tells her she does, “Patrice.”
Robin is given the opportunity by Sandy Rivers to do year-end reviews and fire someone. And who does Robin consider? Patrice. Her “Pit Guy.” Marshall and Lily both say that if anything happens to them, look in Daryl’s basement. Daryl went to college with them. The three them of played a game of hacky sack. Now, Daryl comments on every picture Marshall posts of little Marvin, and then comments on his comments!
There was a small Buffy, the Vampire Slayer reunion on HIMYM. In addition to Alexis Denisof’s recurring role as Sandy Rivers, Seth Green popped in to play Daryl. Green was the werewolf boyfriend to Alyson Hannigan’s good witch Willow, while Denisof served as the Watcher Wesley Wyndam-Pryce upon Giles’ “retirement.”
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Ted gets the RSVP back from his former professor and the answer is “will not be attending, will be out of town.” But, there is an additional comment, “I’m not sure you sent this to the right person.” Ted decides to go back to campus and talk to his professor. Lily and Marshall, along with a silent Barney, tag along. Marshall and Lily bump into Daryl on campus, selling hacky sacks. He calls his company “The Three Hackmigos,” complete with a log bearing the face of himself, Marshall, and Lily. Daryl invites them to his house so he can show them something, the moment, no doubt, he will Silence of the Lambs them into a pit.
In actuality, Daryl wants to show them the inventory he has and give them a check. He included them on the business because he says, it was their idea. Daryl, however comes to realize that he is someone, and he does not need to seek the approval of Marshall and Lily. He tears the check up, as a sign of his liberation. Ted comes to terms that Daryl is more emotionally mature than he is. Why is still seeking the approval of one professor when he has accomplished so much? In the meantime, Robin has told Patrice that she is fired. As she walks Patrice to the door, Patrice asks, “Robin, is this really about me?” And Robin breaks down, “No, it’s not.” Robin realizes that she had Patrice in a pit and lets her keep her job. She shares with Patrice how hard it has been for her to see Patrice and Barney together.
In the words of Ted:
At some point, you’ll make a pit for someone in your mind. But ultimately the only person in that pit is yourself. Which means there’s only one person who can let you out of the pit.
The images that accompany these words is one of the reasons I love HIMYM so much. The images tell just as much of the story as the dialogue and voice overs do. Ted looks down into the pit and throws down a ladder. And then Ted climbs up the ladder, out of the pit. The image is repeated with Robin throwing the ladder down and Robin climbing up it. If we are putting anyone in a pit, we are putting ourselves in there. The negative thoughts of revenge and grudges are no good. They hold no purpose.
The Gala
Ted’s gala for the GNB building is finally upon us. At the end of part one, Barney shows Ted an engagement ring, which causes Ted to yell out, “Barney!” The jinx is broken and Barney can speak again. He tells Ted his plan to propose to Patrice at the top of the WWN building. He wears Ted to tell no one. Ted, of course, pulls a classic Mosby, and struggles with deciding if he should tell Robin or not. He attempts to, but instead invites her to the gala as his date. Another classic Mosby move.
In a moment of uncertainty, Ted calls Marshall. Ted convinces himself to tell Robin, Marshall convinces him to think about himself. If Ted really does still love Robin, then he shouldn’t help her get another man. Ted picks Robin up to go to the gala, and Ted blurts out that Barney is planning to propose the Patrice.
While Ted experiences the range of emotions from Robin, Marshall and Lily are trying to enjoy the gala. It is their first night with Marvin. Lily’s dad has agreed to babysit and has no difficulty at all. Lily begins to wonder if Marvin even misses her. Instead of spending the night at a hotel, as they had planned, they go back home. To be a family.
Robin agrees to just go to the gala with Ted, it’s his nigh after all. “Why would I throw myself back into the pit?” she asks Ted. “Because you love him.” But Ted drops Robin off at the WWN building. Ted goes on to the gala, where everyone is toasting him, but he is there alone. He has yet to meet the girl with the yellow umbrella.
The Robin
Barney’s final page of the Playbook that he burned a episode or so ago, is his last play. He calls it “The Robin.” The sheet is what Robin finds when she makes it to the top of the building. This is what makes HIMYM so great. As Barney gives voice over as Robin reads the page, all the pieces from this season come together and we learn that all of those episodes that left us pulling our hair out, were actually all part of a great plan.
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At first Robin is upset with Barney, and the idea of getting back together with him seems impossible after the weeks of lies and trickery. And in some sense, we all should be this upset. Why did we go through all that we have gone through this season to finally reach this place. Why couldn’t we get here faster? But, like Robin, after she flips the page over and reads, “Hope she says yes,” and we find Barney on one knee asking Robin to marry him, we forget about all of that stuff. We are happy that we are here.
And Robin says yes.
Now What?
For awhile it wasn’t looking good that HIMYM would be returning for a ninth season. This meant, of course, that everything would have to be revived for a concluding season. However, within the last week, reports show that the gang will all be back for season nine. Will we get the Robin-Barney wedding before the end of season eight? Will be finally see the girl underneath the umbrella? HIMYM fans, weigh in, what do you hope to see?
The Greatest Gift of All
Linus recites Luke 2:8-14:
Sometimes, we can feel like Charlie Brown. We get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas and wonder, “Is there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” Linus, much like the angels on that first Christmas, remind us what Christmas is all about.
“Peace and goodwill toward men.”
Peace and goodwill is hard to come by these days, as it was that first Christmas. Charles Campbell reminds us, “The political powers, in both Jesus’ day and our own, play on fear to get their way – whether it be the fear of the emperor, the fear of terrorists, the fear of the ‘other’ (the immigrant), or the fear of death.”
Government mandated oppression.
Discrimination against those were different than them.
The poor were kept poor.
People suffered from hunger.
Violence was evident on the streets daily.
But, that was in “those days.”
“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7, NRSV).
The arrival of Jesus brought with it a “new day.” There is no longer need for fear, only joy. There is no longer need for corruption, only freedom. There is no longer need for hunger, only feasting. There is no longer need for occupation, only liberation. There is no longer need for war, only peace.
And yet, we struggle to see this “new day.”
Political parties inspire fear of the other party.
Hatred and bullying of someone, anyone, who is different from us is rampant.
The great divide between the have’s and the have-not’s gets wider and wider.
People suffer from hunger.
Violence is evident on our streets and in our schools.
And there is something deep inside of us that wants to cry out like Charlie Brown, “Is there anyone who knows what Christmas is about?” Sure, we get all these warm fuzzies at this time of year that make us feel so good. It’s great giving and receiving gifts. It’s great going to parties. It’s great having family and friends around.
But, at least for me, there is something hard to swallow about Christmas. That is with all the joy, there is grieving and hopelessness. And I don’t mean to be a damper on things. From Central America and back, I have seen suffering at the hands of poverty, addictions, and violence. And while we try to not think about these things at Christmas, we have to remember this is why the baby boy was born. This poverty, these addictions, and this violence is the reason God became man. This suffering is the reason that Jesus was born.
Jesus is not just the reason for the season. Jesus is the greatest gift of all. In that lowly manger sits hands of grace that bring healing and hope into our hopelessness.
John’s gospel talks about Jesus’ birth as a great Light that penetrates the darkness of the world. Matthew quotes Jesus telling the disciples that “You are the Light of the World.” This is just one of the many commissioning sayings of Jesus. God sent Jesus as the Light, we are the light-bearers. It is now our responsibility to carry that Light into the dark crevices of the world. Because we claim Jesus Christ, we now become a gift to the word.
Taking the Light to the oppressed.
Taking the Light to the poor and the hungry.
Taking the Light to the bullied and the bullies.
Taking the Light into the violent streets.
It is us who must act. It is us who must bring peace and goodwill to all. It is our gift to give.
Christmas Prayer
Eternal God, by the birth of Jesus Christ you gave yourself to the world. Grant that, being born in our hearts, he may save us from all our sins, and restore within us the image and likeness of our Creator, to whom be everlasting praise and glory, world without end. Amen.
From the United Methodist Hymnal, number 231.
Led by the Spirit
Read Luke 1:39-45.
Here we have two women. One young, the other old. Both pregnant. Both marginalized by society. Mary because she is unwed and pregnant. Elizabeth has been disgraced by her community because she is old and barren. Both of their lives are changing. One bears the messenger, and the other bears the Message.
During this visit, Elizabeth is the first to declare Jesus “Lord.” Luke does not tell us what Mary does, if anything, between the angel’s visit and Mary’s visit with Elizabeth. What prompted this visit? What was the motivating force behind her actions?
The short answer is the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that calls to us to act, to move, or to change. It is the force that gives us our power to do good. It is the motivator that causes us to seek out wisdom guides or mentors along our journey. Elizabeth is such a person for Mary. A mentor, a wisdom guide, a prayer partner.
Who has the Holy Spirit led you to as a faith mentor? Who is your wisdom guide? Who is your prayer partner?
