The report about young Thomas wasn’t the kind any parent wants to see. Tom was considered a poor student by his school. He had difficulties with focus. He was easily confused. In school only for a few months, already he’d been labeled a problem child. Labels like this, applied to someone so young, can be tough to shake. He’d been judged, and written off, seemingly not up to the task of learning alongside his peers.

When mom Nancy heard what was being said about Tom, she was furious. Determined that this early assessment wouldn’t define her son for life she decided to teach him at home. But it wouldn’t be easy. For Tom was the youngest of seven. Nancy’s daily routine was hectic already. A busy household was about to get busier. She wondered how it would all turn out.

Ben
Josiah and Abiah were broke; there was no way around it. They wanted the best for young Ben, but times were tough. Ben was one of seventeen kids; that’s a lot of mouths to feed. After only two years of school, they simply couldn’t afford for him to go back. They thought he’d make a great minister. If only they had more money.

But they didn’t, so Ben dropped out of school to work for his dad. Formal education now complete, at age 10, Ben’s learning would have to be self-led. Future prospects for the boy, by any objective standard, weren’t good. Labels, like being poor and uneducated, can pigeonhole a person. His parents prayed it would work out. Truth be told they weren’t quite sure.

Rod
Rod’s life was destined to be difficult. An African American and born without a tibia in either leg – that’s the shinbone – both of Rod’s legs were amputated above the knee before he turned two. Rod’s mom had a job with modest income. To afford the pricey prosthetic legs her son needed she quit it, and filed for unemployment. It was the only way her son could get the medical care he needed.

As Rod grew his legs needed to grow with him. New sockets, new feet, new knees, all required annual updates. It was tough for Rod’s mom to maintain his complicated care and still pay the bills. Soon the two found themselves without a place to live, moving in and out of shelters over the course of five years.

The unkind labels people applied to them, words like homeless, disabled, unemployed placed limits on what their lives could be. She loved her son. She was doing the best she could. She hoped it would be enough.

The Son
Life for Mary, up until then, was non-descript. Her basic needs growing up were met; she’d been loved, fed, clothed, housed. Even better, Mary was engaged to be married. Culturally at the time this meant her financial prospects were good. Lifelong security, for her and her family, were in reach.

But then some surprising news, courtesy of a messenger from above. She was pregnant, the messenger shared, and would bear a son. And this child would be holy, a king, and rule forever more. Mary was confused, perplexed, afraid. She wondered aloud, “how could this be?”

Much has been made of her chaste status. While that was part of Mary’s question there was more to it. For this news cast uncertainty on everything Mary thought she knew. And created all sorts of related questions.

How could her fiancée not leave?
How could her parents not disown?
How could society not judge?

Unwed mother was a label Mary would prefer to avoid. In her day especially it would come with enormous cost.

And then the bigger question. How could a child, borne from such circumstance, go on to save the world?

The messenger concluded that, with God, nothing is impossible. Mary tried to let that sink in. With God, nothing is impossible. Perhaps, Mary concluded, things were about to change.

Tom redux
Getting back to young Tom and his school problems, it turns out he learned just fine with mom teaching at home. Reading, writing, arithmetic all came naturally. A self-directed learner, he was fascinated with technology, spending hours, then days on experiments he’d dreamed up.

And before you know it Thomas Edison was inventing all sorts of things, from the phonograph to the motion picture camera to the light bulb. They are technologies we rely on to this day.

The labels of confused and unable to think clearly didn’t end up meaning much at all. For Tom was busy making the impossible, possible. Over and over again.

Ben redux
After working for his family, young Ben moved to Philadelphia, where he launched multiple careers. He was a scientist, inventing bifocals, the lightening rod, a flexible catheter. He was a postmaster, ensuring people could send and receive mail. And he was a writer, penning an almanac, his own biography, and writing advocating for the end of slavery.

Growing up poor, with no education, many might conclude Ben wouldn’t amount to much. But the world was his classroom, and he earned quite a living learning from it. Benjamin Franklin spent a lifetime doing the impossible, in so many ways, helping birth a nation.

Rod redux
As a ten-year-old Rod was still homeless, but his fortunes were about to change. By chance he connected with the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and found a coach who offered to teach him to swim. Teaching turned to training towards a goal. Rod’s efforts paid off. In 2014 he made the U.S. Para swimming team, and went on to win both gold and bronze medals in the international competition.

Rod then set his sights on triathlons, becoming a skilled runner and biker along the way. He started with small, local races, building up the miles to try longer events.

Then in October 2019, after years of training Rod hit a major milestone. He completed an Ironman competition in Hawaii, successfully swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles. That’s over 140 miles of racing done in a day. He was the first bilateral above-the-knee amputee to ever do it. Rod’s motto? No legs, no limits.

Now what happens? buy generic cialis Well, initially it steers a little funny, but you tell yourself it doesn’t. Mentat is currently available appalachianmagazine.com uk generic cialis in the market for a very high price. Males generally think that they can have sex with their partner in the cialis generic france bed. They should be backed by a team of experts having a medical background, which is well-versed with the standards and guidelines laid down by the industry. generic viagra from canada Turns out the labels of homeless and legless haven’t slowed Rod Sewell down one bit. Which is what happens when you’re busy making history, inspiring countless others along the way.

Nothing Impossible
With God, nothing is impossible. The words rang in Mary’s ears.
With God, nothing is impossible. Despite the challenges her current reality presents. Despite the unkind labels others might use to keep her down. Mary was pregnant, and unmarried, this was true. But she carried a very special child. It was a responsibility she didn’t take lightly.

“Here I am,” Mary told the messenger. “Let it be, according to your word.” And so it was.
For the rest of the story, tune in December 24. And keep on tuning in after. For the stories of Mary’s baby offer a lifetime of lessons we learn from still.

Close
Our world has been a bit sadder this year than normal. To quote an internet meme, change my mind. There’s no way around it. No need to expound.

As the birth of Christ is heralded, and presents purchased, sermons preached, songs sung, like Mary, we’re offered the chance to proclaim this exciting news.

We want peace on earth, goodwill toward all. We want to be part of a world being transformed as God intends.

If only it weren’t for those labels that tell us we’re –

Too young,
Too old,
Too broke,
Too unfocused,
Too single,
Too unstable,
Too alone –

To take part.

Like Mary we come with our own questions. We have our own versions of how can this be?

How can darkness be vanquished?
How can wrongs be made right?
How can the many become one?

In these moments, let us be reminded of the message from above.

With God, nothing is impossible.

Let it become our mantra, repeating it again, and again, and again.

With God, nothing is impossible.
With God, nothing is impossible.
With God, nothing is impossible.

Etch it into your soul.
Write it on your heart.

In these moments let us mirror Mary, birthing God’s kingdom here on earth.

In these moments let us echo Mary. Here I am Lord. Help me to take part in healing this world you love so. May it soon be. Amen.

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this tropic port
Aboard this tiny ship.

The mate was a mighty sailing man,
The skipper brave and sure.
Five passengers set sail that day
For a three hour tour, a three hour tour.

The weather started getting rough,
The tiny ship was tossed,
If not for the courage of the fearless crew
The Minnow would be lost, the Minnow would be lost.

The ship set ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle
With Gilligan
The Skipper too,
A millionaire and his wife,
A movie star
The Professor and Mary Ann,
Here on Gilligan’s Isle.

So begins each episode of the 1960s sitcom Gilligan’s Island. I used to love watching that show in syndication in the 80s. The theme song tells you all you need to know about the predicament the seven castaways are in.

They left from a tropic port, where all was seemingly well. But then disaster struck, in the form of a storm, leaving those aboard separate from the paradise they’d departed from.
Every episode began with the same basic premise. They wanted to get back, to their friends, their families, their versions of the good life. But, despite their best efforts, human hijinks always seemed to screw it up.

In one episode two Russian cosmonauts arrive. And plan to take the castaways back to civilization with them. But the seven drink too much vodka, and fall asleep, forcing the cosmonauts to leave without them.

In another, the castaways find a hidden raft. But they also find a lost gold mine. Not able to leave wealth behind they bring the gold on their escape vessel. But the weight of it all sinks the raft, dashing any hopes of escape.

One time a band called the Mosquitoes – that’s a Beatles spoof – appears. Ginger, Mary Anne and Mrs. Howell form a singing group, The Honeybees, hoping to impress. But the Mosquitoes worry the Honeybees could be competition. So they leave them there.

The castaways never did get back, at least in the original series, despite so very many attempts. Paradise, for the seven, was lost.

Beginning
Story arcs for the tales of scripture are similar. In the beginning was the paradise of a garden. A garden where all was well between God, man, woman. Creator and creation coexisted peaceably. Everything was as it should be.

But then weather took a turn for the worse, in the form of a snake, a tree, a choice. Before you know it, the cast of two were also on a fateful trip. They too, found themselves stranded, separate from the paradise they’d left behind.

Episodes of scripture, in their own way, often begin with that same basic premise. People want to get back to what they had before. That want to get back to right relationship with God, right relationship with each other.

For once you experience things as they should be, you’ll always yearn for that idyllic state.

Unfortunately, history shows people aren’t that good at actually doing it. Despite their best-efforts, ancient human hijinks can end up making things even worse.

We humans were once so intent on getting close to God we started building a tower to the heavens, desiring to become gods ourselves. Which was never the plan. These hijinks led God to give the builders many languages, halting the project. Leaving us separate still.

Hoping to point us in the right direction God created ten basic commands. But the people grew impatient waiting for them, and instead gathered their bling, melted it down, and worshiped a golden calf. Worship of wealth has created strain between creator and created ever since.

When God cleared the way for God’s beloved to have their own land, after exile, the people doubted, questioned, feared. Because of this they wandered the wilderness for 40 years, separate from the promise once more.

With each hope of return to paradise foiled, in an endless number of ways, God grew frustrated. Watching episode after episode end, each with the same conclusion, for way more than three seasons, God couldn’t help but feel sad.

Realizing something had to change, God decided to act. It was time for another new beginning.

Beginning again
This is the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It marks the start of today’s text.

This beginning too had a fateful trip, from the heavens to the earth. Even better, this beginning featured a central character that would lead the people home. Back to the paradise lost they so desired.

The good news this beginning represents started with a messenger, and a message. The messenger was not the one, but prepared the way for the one.

The messenger would –

Point the compass,
Set the GPS,
Make Christ’s way clear.

The messenger proclaimed –

But, don’t take these pills if you have any of the following medical conditions: Have genital deformity cheap levitra or Peyronie’s disease Have a family history of heart problems or stroke. Since, it comes in a tablet form one just need to place it over the tongue to generico levitra on line http://www.icks.org/data/ijks/1482965794_add_file_7.pdf get melt easily. Kamagra is proven for the best use by both males and females. levitra prescription Surgical Treatment Only physicians recommend this treatment method focuses on teaching children some generic viagra order check this site out skills to fight their distress and fear of separation. A baptism of repentance,
Forgiveness of sins,
Hope for brighter tomorrows.

Hearing this –

The people came.
The people confessed.
The people were baptized.

It was the beginning of a movement with us still.

The messenger gave all this good news from the wilderness. A wilderness the people had been in for so much more than 40 years. A wilderness that would be illuminated, in the not-too-distant future, by a star, a manger, a birth.

Oh there would still be drama ahead after this fateful trip. The weather would keep getting rough. Human hijinks were here to stay.

But now there was a plan.
The people now knew the path.
They need only follow.

Beginning soon
It’s been a tough year. We hunger to turn away from our recent status quo.

We yearn for –
new beginnings,
fresh starts,
good news.

We want to get off the crazy rollercoaster ride we’ve been on.
We want to get back to our friends, our families, our version of the good life.

To quote a gay rights advocacy project that began a decade ago, we desperately want to believe that it gets better.

Yet, in the middle of a seemingly endless amount of human hijinks we’ve experienced this year, the possibility of getting away from it might be difficult to imagine.

Covid deaths keep increasing.
Political divides keep growing.
Will either ever really end?

But consider this – the pandemic of 1918 killed 675,000 in the US. More than Covid likely will. And that’s among a US population of only 100 million then. That’s a third of what it is today. In pandemic terms, it’s been worse.

Consider too that, despite political divisions, we’re nearing another successful transition of power, from one president to the next. Civil war is in our past, not our future. In political terms, it’s been worse. Much worse.

Remember too, the people of 1861 and 1918 had the same promise given to them from scripture.

They too looked for –

new beginnings,
good news,
a path,
a star,
a savior.

God was there for people of centuries past.
God is here for us today.

Despite how rough the weather may get.
Despite how tossed our tiny ship may seem.

For God is for all people, past, present, and future.
And that certainly includes you.

As Advent turns to Christmas turns to 2021 –

Let us recognize the darkness of 2020 for what it is. But let us not linger too long. For unlike the seven castaways, in the midst of human hijinks we have hope.

We castaways live in a moment of great anticipation.
We need only set our sights toward a fresh start, a new beginning.

A beginning of the good news, of Jesus Christ.
A beginning of confession, repentance, mended fences.
A beginning that comes around, this time of year, once again. Amen.