Advent-ure Day 18: Mary Ponders the Events

In Psalm 104, we read a passage of Scripture that incorporates the glory of God, the worship of our Lord, and the fine art of meditation:
31May the glory of the Lord endure forever; May the Lord rejoice in His works.32He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke.33I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.34May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord.

As we collectively think on that verse of Scripture in Luke 2 that tells us that Mary pondered what took place around the time of the birth of her son, God's Son, we recognize that God wants us to think more deeply about His nature and His truth.  He wants to illuminate our minds and to teach us more about Himself as we come before Him in humility.  As we consider His Word and how it might apply to us, we gain a greater appreciation for the reliability of His truth and the sweetness of His presence.

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So far this week, in our 25-Day Spiritual Advent-ure, we have focused mainly on the way that the lives of the shepherds were changed.  The theme for the week is "alteration," and certainly when confronted with the message of and presence of Jesus, their lives were affected - they shared the news and people, we're told, were in awe of what they heard.   So, the message leads to changed lives, as the message of the gospel does today.

And, Mary and Joseph were no doubt transformed in this overall series of circumstances.  In Luke 2:19, we can read:
19But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

The message of Christmas is still alive in our culture today - even though, as I highlighted this week, there are attempts to remove or reduce the symbols of Christmas in public life, still a large percentage of people, according to a recent Pew survey, believe various elements of the story of Christmas.

The Christian Examiner website has an analysis of the survey.  It says that:

Atheists trying to make their mark across southern states with billboards that mock Christianity as a fairy tale face disappointing statistics this week revealing that most adult Americans -- 73 percent to be exact -- see the story of the virgin birth of Jesus as historical fact, not fiction.

The Pew survey results, released earlier this week, also show 81 percent of U.S. adults believe Baby Jesus was laid in a manger, 75 percent hold the account about wise men to be true, and 74 percent accept that angels announced Jesus' birth to shepherds.

Even a third of those with no religious affiliation believe in the virgin birth and more than half say the manger was Christ's bed at His birth.

The article states that "the Pew research shows mixed feelings about nativity displays and Christian symbols placed on government property."  The report says that, "Advocates on both sides of these disputes can take some heart in Americans' views...On the one hand, nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults (72 percent) favor allowing Christian symbols on government property in at least some cases – either by themselves [44 percent] or with symbols from other faiths [28 percent]."

But the findings also point out that looking at the data from another perspective, "nearly half of Americans (48 percent) express reservations about these displays, either saying that Christian symbols must be accompanied by those from other faiths [28 percent] or that no religious displays should be allowed on government property at all [20 percent]."

BREATHEcast declared in its headline, "In the Battle for Christmas, Jesus Reigns." Its report opens by saying, "The war on Christmas seems to be failing in America according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

So, what do we take away from this information?

I think for one thing, there is still a robust level of general Bible knowledge out there, especially when it comes to the Christmas story.  I would concede that the level is declining, but nevertheless there are still quite a few people out there with at least an awareness of elements of the Christmas story, and other areas as well.  So, we can take heart and even capitalize on this general knowledge, and perhaps help people understand what this story actually means.

Also, just as Mary pondered the events surrounding Jesus' birth, Christmas is a great time for each of us to ponder those events, too.  Even though there is no glamour about the physical aspects of the Christmas story, it has been glamorized in society, and we have to work beyond that.  It's great to know that 3-in-4 people believe in the virgin birth and about the same percentage believe the message was announced by angels to shepherds, but the story doesn't end there - this boy grew up, became a man, and called people to follow Him - in obedience, to walk in holiness.  And, there's the rub - people feel comfortable with a baby in a manger, but when it comes to the radical obedience to which Jesus calls us, that no doubt makes a sizable number of people feel uncomfortable.

So, what does it mean to us?  I encourage you to ponder this week: how does the Christmas story change your life?  In our observance of the wonderful traditions of Christmas, think more deeply about the reasons why and allow the Holy Spirit to draw you into a more dedicated walk with our Savior.