“His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.” (Luke 1: 50-53)
As a parent, I can remember listening to my children play together in another part of the house. The sound of their voices let me know they were having fun and involved with some kind of activity. I can also remember when the sound of them playing went silent for a length of time. It was then that I began to wonder, “what are they up to?” The silence led me to question their activity.
Sometimes as Christians, we wonder what God is up to. We might feel as though God has grown silent and is no longer paying attention to our lives. This is especially true when we find ourselves facing a time of uncertainty. Such times may leave us feeling anxious about the present moment. We might begin to doubt God’s presence. If we don’t hear God, does this mean that God is taking a break from involvement in the world and our lives?
As Mary continues to sing her praises to God, she confesses that God is a God of action who is always working to make his Kingdom a reality in the world. With the strength of God’s arm, God is seeking to overturn the way the world works. God is scattering the proud, bringing down the powerful from their thrones, lifting up the lowly, filling the hungry with good things, and sending the rich away empty. God is active in bringing the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. Mary recognized that the child in her womb would be God’s great change agent in the world. Jesus would visually demonstrate God’s power and presence.
In our lives, we can trust that God is indeed actively working to bring the Kingdom into our own lives. God invites us to join him in this grand transformation that overturns the world as we know it. As we seek to know God’s will in our lives, we can be confident that if we are living out the values of God’s Kingdom in the world, then we will be following God’s will. God will not ask us to participate in that which violates the values of the Kingdom of God. For where God is King, God’s will is being done.
Prayer: Lord, help me to live out your Kingdom in my life so as to bear witness of your work in the world.
Conversations from the Couch 