Becoming Portals for the Holy
/By Rev. Jeanne Loveless
We will understand the journey past only as we continue to embrace the path before us. We come to understand that we are {portals for and} bearers of the Christ light, and that the holy is born in us, only as we enter the mysteries of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany again and again.” – Jan Richardson
“I am a portal for the Holy!” - Mary in “The Magnificat.”
This pandemic feels like one long winding portal that never ends. We notice it’s getting lighter sometimes and then we realize it’s just a sky window or a well-lit place- and the portal continues. Never in my wildest dreams did I believe we would be preparing for our second annual Zoom Christmas Eve service. The trauma is real, it gets harder to measure time, and beloved rituals like this continue to hold us and help us mark and light the way on this journey.
Our portal conversations during Advent have been rich. VERY RICH. I continue to be amazed at what we can do on Zoom; amazed by the width and depth, and the possibilities for our future. Most of all I am touched by the miraculous ways we have embraced technology- and our intentionality about staying in Beloved Community and living out our calling to be welcoming, compassionate, and theologically reflective, in all challenges-local, global, and personal.
In The Message translation of “The Magnificat,” Mary describes herself-after her visit with Gabriel, and journey to Elizabeth’s house- as “bursting with God news” and as being “a portal for the Holy.” We have talked during Advent about what is facing Mary here. She is young, probably 12-13 years old, and Jewish law (Deuteronomy 22) calls for her stoning if she is pregnant outside of the boundaries of marriage. She was probably familiar with the apocryphal story of Tobit, in which scary beings show up in a young girl's inner chamber and wreak havoc in her life. It is only when Tobit gets advice from Archangel Rafael that this chaos be averted.. And yet she is discerning and steps into her calling with power and becomes a vessel, a threshold, a portal, to bring the Christ Light in the world. There is no “gentle Mary, meek and mild” to be seen here. She is surrendering, being intentional, journeying, ascending- becoming Mother Mary. The Mother of God, and the compassionate, powerful, world transforming protector and Mother of all of us.
It is my prayer for us as Bethlehem comes into view this week- that we continue to look to Mother Mary (And Zechariah, Elizabeth, John, Father Joseph, and the Shepherds) for wisdom. They have shown us that ordinary people- like us- can find extraordinary ways to become “Portals for the Holy” in our homes, families, communities, and in the world; even and especially when the portals we are traversing are challenging, dangerous, and seem to go on forever.
There is one truth we can all count on through it- Emmanuel-God is with us as we journey. May you know that in your hearts and bones as we move forward, and as we give birth the light of Christ in coming days together. I love you and am deeply blessed to be navigating multiple portals with you as your Minister & Teacher. Have a blessed, full, and restful Holiday. Alaheshte. -Rev. Jeanne
