Treasuring and Pondering

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19, NIV).

You think Mary had it easy? Dealing with a teen pregnancy … giving birth in a barn … and dealing with the promise that her baby boy would be the promised Messiah. We tend to glorify Mary’s story and remove the details of her humanity. But, her story is full of real life details. It’s a story that suggests that she had to practice liminal faith through this time of knowing and not knowing. She surely had to have a faith that was suspended between belief and disbelief. She received the message that she was pregnant. That alone can create suspense and disbelief. On top of this news was the promise that her child would be the Messiah. This is hard to believe, I don’t care who you are. And then there were the nine months of waiting for the baby to be born. I’m not a mother (obviously), but I’m guessing that this liminal time is filled with a rhythm between doubts and beliefs. Surely, Mary’s pregnancy was filled with sleepless nights of wondering about her abilities and disabilities. Matters got worse when she was displaced in Bethlehem on her delivery date. How could she know that God was fulfilling the promise. This sure seemed like an odd way to give someone VIP treatment. What kind of God pushes a mother into a barn to deliver her child? The Messiah? None of these birthday details made sense. Personally, I don’t know how anyone could have an unwavering faith under these circumstances. Perhaps Mary did. But, it makes more sense that she had to practice liminal faith. (If you’re wondering about my definition of liminal faith, please read my comments on the right side of this page.)

Luke tells the story of Mary giving birth to Jesus in a barn. He also mentions that shepherds visited Mary with a special message. “An angel told us to come here. We were afraid and didn’t know what to believe. The angel said that we’d find you here and that your baby would be wrapped in cloths, and this would be a sign that the promised Messiah had been delivered. Mary … your baby is the Messiah! We’re here to tell you … your baby IS the Messiah.”

Luke concludes his story with one of my favorite observations recorded in scripture. “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart ” I’d like to suggest that this one verse offers one of the best strategies for practicing liminal faith.

First, we should treasure every divine revelation that comes our way. It’s hard to have faith when it feels like the cards are stacked against us. It’s hard to count our blessings when we feel that there are more curses than blessings. It’s hard to have faith when we don’t know what to believe. So, when we hear that whisper of God’s voice, then we have to strain to hear. And, we must treasure every confirmation of God’s divine presence that we experience.

Second, we ponder. It’s hard to create a recipe for faith. But, I’m convinced that one of the core ingredients is pondering. How can we experience a wonder-full life if we don’t ponder? Pondering helps us to find meaning and purpose. Pondering helps us to redefine our values and our beliefs. Pondering helps us to solidify our convictions. Pondering builds faith. The opposite is also true. Closing the mind is like closing a coffin on faith. A closed mind will without a doubt cause faith to wither up and die.

If you are practicing liminal faith because you are stuck somewhere between here and there, don’t give up. If you are grieving the death of a loved one, treasure the memories and ponder the good times. If you are facing the heartache of a broken relationship, treasure the support that you receive from others, and ponder who you are and who you will become. If you are recovering from addiction, treasure your sobriety, and ponder about “the next best thing.” And, if you are a new parent feeling overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for one of God’s children, treasure the innocence of your child, and ponder your baby’s future.

May we all enter the New Year by treasuring God’s promises and pondering God’s grace and mercy. AMEN.