At one time it was thought impossible
to sail around the world . . . in 1519 Ferdinand Magellan did the impossible.
For centuries people thought that it
was impossible for humans to fly . . . on December 17th, 1903 the
Wright brothers—Orville and Wilbur—flew the first successful airplane at Kitty
Hawk, North Carolina.
On April 12th, 1961 the
Soviet Union put the first human being into space despite the fact that most
people believed that it would be impossible to ever put a human in space.
History is filled with examples of the
impossible becoming possible. If a
person were to sit down and talk to an individual in their nineties or at the
century mark it would be amazing the stories of change that they could
tell. From the transportation of walking
by foot or traveling by horse to automobiles, airplanes, and train . . . these
people would tell you of the impossible becoming possible. Communication . . . from simple paper and
stamps delivered by air or train . . . to cell phones that all allow
instantaneous communication from practically any place on the planet . . . who
would have ever believed. I think any
person who has witnessed the transition of life in the past hundred years would
speak of amazement in the amount of impossibilities that became realities.
We should never assume that anything
is impossible. History and life prove us
wrong. Nothing is impossible.
Ask Mary.
Mary was a young woman who was engaged
to be married when an angel of God appeared to her. The angel told her that she would soon be
pregnant. The news shocked her . . . it
was impossible . . . impossible because she had never been with a man and even
she understood that it took two to tango.
So, how in the world she be pregnant?
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
Well, inquiring minds want to know . .
. how can this be? It is impossible. Yet the angel assures her that it will happen
and not only will it happen, but that the child will be the Son of God. Then the angel assures Mary, “For
nothing is impossible with God.”
And, so, it came to be. Mary believed and the story was set into
motion. A child would be born . . . a
miraculous birth that would stun the world in its simplicity and its power . .
. a birth that would change the world and its people forever. Out of the impossible the possible was
manifested . . . and, who would have ever thought that it was possible in the
first place?
“For nothing is impossible with God.”
So why do we still not believe? Why do we not trust God?
History and life have proven us wrong
time after time when it comes to the impossible being achieved . . . just
consider the span of your own lifetime and all the changes you never thought
would happen. Where there is belief
there is always the possibility . . . ask Mary and she would tell you . . .
with God all things are possible.
You have to believe. Belief is the key . . . the key to change . .
. the key of achieving the impossible.
Mary believed and the world was changed forever.
As the followers of Jesus we are
living the impossible. We are striving
for an impossible dream . . . a kingdom of peace and love and harmony . . . a
kingdom in which all people love and respect one another for who God created
them to be . . . a place where there is no war . . . a place where all are for
one in helping one another become all that God created them to be . . . the
Kingdom of God.
As the followers of Jesus we strive to
live our lives in such a way that we are not only the reflection of our Lord
and Savior, but that we become an extension of his love and grace. Again, an impossibility in the minds of many,
but one that we believe.
We are living the impossible in our
day and age. The heralds have proclaimed
that the faith is dying . . . that the “church” is on its way out . . . and,
that no one believes. Yet, here we are .
. . grasping and clinging onto hope and belief.
Hope and belief that what this blessed event started so long ago is
still possible . . . that God’s Kingdom will come . . . that we can achieve the
impossible. All because we believe.
But, it is hard to believe when we are
confronted with the impossible. Hard to
believe when no one else wants to believe with us. Wasn’t that the first reaction of Mary? Didn’t she find it difficult to believe? Are these not her own words: “How
will this be?”
With words of encouragement the angel
told her to believe. Believe and God
will take care of the rest. The Holy
Spirit will be the guide . . . will be the support . . . to make the impossible
possible.
Years ago I was heard a speaker talk
about being invited to a church to share about the virgin birth story . . . of
which she did eloquently. Despite her
beautiful words and definite belief in the virgin birth, there were many there
who continued to not believe. After the
presentation there was a time for coffee, conversation, and networking among
those gathered. Many lined up to argue
and debate with the presenter. There was
one young man—a teenager—who waited patiently until he had the opportunity to
address the speaker.
When he shared with those gathered
around the speaker that he believed in the virgin birth he was confronted by
some who were listening. They wanted to
know how a smart young man like him could ever believe in such a story . . .
such an impossible story. His
answer? He stated that he did not know
whether or not the story happened the way that it did, but that because it was
such a beautiful story he had to believe that it happened. He believed and thus it was so.
To change the impossible to the
possible one has to believe. Through
belief all things are possible . . . especially with God.
As the followers of Jesus we must
believe. We must believe or we are
wasting our time making this Advent journey to that little town of
Bethlehem. We must believe or our mere
existence as the followers of Jesus is a sham and waste of our time and
energy. We must believe if we are to
ever accomplish that which others say is impossible. We must believe.
Sometimes the best encouragement does
not come from some mystical experience, but from life itself. One of the most powerful and lyrical
statements of the power of belief in overcoming the impossible comes from the
musical, The Man of Mancha . . . the
story of a dreamer seeking the impossible.
The main character is Don Quixote who is a dreamer . . . a dreamer
seeking to change the world. It is in
the song, The Impossible Dream, that speaks of the power of believing. He speaks to us as the followers of Jesus in
this time of living the impossible:
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star
Remember what the angel told
Mary? “For nothing is impossible with
God.” Believe. Amen.
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