Gabriel’s Greeting
This dramatic monologue provides a possible perspective of Mary following Gabriel’s visit.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a young woman engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The young woman’s name was Mary. And Gabriel came to her and said ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Eternal One is with you.’ But Mary was much perplexed by these words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
I’m a virgin and I’m pregnant.
I’m shunned by my family and friends, and I’m engaged to Joseph, who may divorce me.
Then some weird guy, tells me I’m favoured.
Really, I can do without these favours, thank you very much.
My first thought is this guy is crazy,
and then he says, “The Lord is with you.”
Later someone says, I must have been ‘perplexed.’
No, perplexed is not what I was feeling.
Confused, yes!
Bewildered, troubled, anxious, disoriented, embarrassed, dumbfounded, chagrined?
Yes, yes, and yes.
What should I do? Where should I go?
Who will stand by me? Why me?
All of these questions swirl around my mind.
Yes, I am very confused.
Someone later tells me that this guy is Gabriel, an angel of God,
but at the time, I just thought he’s crazy.
Then he says, “The Lord is with you.”
Oh wow! Even crazy guys sometime say things that are meaningful and true.
What if God is with me when I am the most reviled person in Nazareth?
What if God loves me even though I can’t find it within myself to love me?
Yes, I need to think about this.
Could it mean that when everyone I love and admire has turned against me that I am still loved?
Could it mean that even when I feel most alone that there is someone walking with me.
I’ve got lots to think about and plan for, so for now, I will just pretend that this might be true.
Please God, may it be so.
By Eleanor A. Hubbard, Ph.D., Cairn Christian Church, Colorado USA, who has provided permission for this piece to be shared through Worship Words. The monologue was originally written for the 2016 Advent Meditations at Cairn Christian Church, Lafayette, Colorado USA.
