Seeker

The Advent Word for today is 'Greeting'. We're now well into the season of Christmas Greetings. Christmas is almost here. Some greetings arriving by card, text, email, phone call or in person come as a surprise. Someone you had not expected to greet you makes contact because this time is special. I cannot think of a more surprising greeting or more surprising visitor than the one Mary the mother of Jesus received in Nazareth a little over 2000 years ago. In the image (above) of an icon of the Annunciation, the Angel Gabriel appears eager to deliver his surprising greeting to Mary. There is also a suggestion that the angel is bowing the knee as if in obeisance to this ordinary but uniquely chosen and favoured young woman. Gabriel begins with the sort of greeting people expected to give to powerful and important people. I think I will let Luke tells the story: 'In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a ...