“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!

Luke 1:30

Finding favor with God sounds like a good thing. (ok. Unequivocally, it is a good thing.) But if you look at the arc of scripture, finding favor with God is also a quick way to live an UN-comfortable life.

Those beloved by God in scripture seldom live a life according to the script. They are sent into exile. They are thrust into the center of attention. They are asked to run around naked in the town square or lay down on their side for over a year while eating food cooked over dung. People chosen and favored by God face unimaginable loss, hardship, and discomfort.

Imagine Mary, a virgin. A female, powerless over her destiny. A person whose voice was not deemed trustworthy enough to be heard in court. Asked to bear a child out of wedlock. This task could have been a death penalty for her. At the least it was a black smear on her reputation, a guarantee to sully her name, and to DIS-qualify her from any saintly imaginings from her contemporaries.

Mary should have been afraid of this good news. In the world she inhabited, there could be no good outcome for her. Yet the angel told her to not be afraid.

Oftentimes, when God gets their fingers dirty in our lives, the outcomes seem… unpleasant. A job is lost. An identity is taken away. A friendship becomes strained or irrevocably broken. The test comes back positive… or negative. The hospital stays increase, the free time and peace of mind decrease.

But God is in the relentless pursuit of redemption. These great tragedies, while no less painful or permanent, begin to shape our personalities. They give us compassion for others. They push us to open up our narrow view of who we are and what we are capable of. They give us deeper reserves of strength, of trust, and of hope. While loss, death, illness and pain are never fully redeemed, our journey through these valleys never happens without growth along the way.

Mary’s good news changed her whole life. Echoes of that good news have changed the world beyond anyone’s imaginings. God is in the business of redemption. While that seems daunting, let’s settle into the invitation not to fear. Hold tight to faith, buckle in, and allow the ride to begin.