The 21 word in my Lent lexicon is
ENCOUNTER.
The Lent scriptures are full of significant encounters with God. Moses, the blind beggar, the Samaritan woman and the disciples all have life changing encounters with God that we hear about in Lent.
None of those are as significant as the encounter at the heart of today’s feast, the Annunciation. Mary’s encounter with the angel Gabriel is life changing, not just for her, but for all of creation. St Benedict of Clairvaux captures its significance in one of his sermons, writing of all of creation waiting with bated breath for Mary’s answer:
“The angel is waiting for your answer, it is time for him to return to the God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady…If you consent straightaway shall we be saved…by one little word of yours in answer shall we all be made alive.“
Her response propels her, us and all of creation into a new reality:
“I am the handmaid of the Lord…let what you have said be done to me.”
It’s often portrayed as a moment of calm and serenity, sometimes the depictions also hint at confusion and disruption. I suspect that the reality encapsulated all of those. It’s important to be aware of this when we come to reflect on our own life changing encounters with God. We hope and expect these to be moments of communion that are calm and serene.
We recognise times when we’re as certain of God’s presence as the disciples at the transfiguration. Yet our encounters with God can also be confusing, disruptive and disconcerting. It seems to me that if our own encounters with God are to be truly life changing they have to have disturb our lives as well as offering consolation.
How is God challenging you to allow God’s presence to disrupt your life this Lent?