Pineridge Blog

If you think about it “virgin birth” is an oxymoron much like “airline food,” or “jumbo shrimp.”

The Bible says that Mary was a virgin. By that means that she was a young, unmarried woman. And it probably means exactly what you think it means, that she was, well, a virgin. When the angel invited her to become the mother of Jesus as a virgin Mary asked, “How can this be?” That is a great question! She knew about the birds and the bees. And the angel gives a great answer, “Nothing will be impossible with God.”

Too often in our time the question comes down to, “Was she or wasn’t she?” Which assigns this to the category of either history or gynecology and still keeps it at arms length from really meaning anything to us.

But what if the question is not “did it happen?” but rather, the main question is “does it happen?” What if this story is not just about Mary but really it is more about the way God continues to work in the lives of all human beings, even us? Perhaps like Mary there is a virginal place in each of us that only God can touch--a place where life is created and recreated; a place  through which God blesses the world.

Mary shows us how God is working in the world and in our lives at this moment and always. The virgin birth says that God continues to create life out of nothing. The virgin birth means that God invites us to believe that no matter how difficult things may appear right now, nothing will be impossible with God. Mary encourages us to say “Yes” to what may seem impossible, but is the invitation to have faith that God is living in and through us. 

Peace+,
Jim