Advent and artful receptivity

At the heart of Advent is an attitude of receptivity toward the promises of God. Gabriel appeared to Mary and delivered earth-shattering news, “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” Mary’s first response, quite naturally, was incredulity, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” When Gabriel responded by promising visitation from the Holy Spirit and overshadowing by the Most High, you might expect Mary’s incredulity to solidify. Instead, she expressed startling receptivity. “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

Advent is a time when we celebrate and remember Mary’s receptivity to the unknown and the unexplainable, to an extraordinary word from the Lord in an ordinary time. Many biblical commentators and theologians highlight Mary’s obedient receptivity. But in reading this account in the first chapter of Luke, what stands out to me is Mary’s artful receptivity. Mary’s receptivity to God’s messenger at an unexpected time fueled her creativity, and she responded in poetry and song.

Zechariah also received word from an angel that his wife Elizabeth would have a son named John, and he too first responded with incredulity. Instead of giving him a second chance, however, the angel silenced Zechariah because of his skepticism. By the time his son was born, Zechariah had become receptive to the angel’s command, scratching the name “John” on papyrus. Immediately, with “his tongue loosed,” he began praising God in poetry, just like Mary.

What we see in these Advent stories is that whereas skepticism hinders creativity, receptivity to the words and work of God unleashes artful praise. In fact, receptivity to God’s work in creation and new creation is the root of all human creativity that gives glory to God.

“The more we are receptive to God’s beauty, the more we are moved to contribute more beauty. ”
– Dr. Wes Vander Lugt

We see this in Mary, whose receptivity gave birth to a song and eventually to Jesus, the very form of Beauty.

Advent is a time to hone our sensibilities, asking the Holy Spirit to dismantle our sterile, skeptic hostility and replace it with responsive receptivity to God’s lively revelation. During Advent, we realize that God’s world and Word contain unimaginable wonder and beauty that calls for creative response. Some choose to suppress it, but others, like Mary and eventually Zechariah, express it through artful praise.