Week 2 Christmas Challenge, Liminal SpaceSample

Picking up from Day 4, we’ll make another observation and focus point from the same text. Here it is (ERV): “20 Now, listen! You will not be able to talk until the day when these things happen. You will lose your speech because you did not believe what I told you. But everything I said will really happen”… He was not able to speak, so he could only make signs to the people. 23 When his time of service was finished, he went home.

24 Later, Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth became pregnant. So she did not go out of her house for five months. She said, 25 “Look what the Lord has done for me! He decided to help me. Now people will stop thinking there is something wrong with me.” ”

If you are this far in our Infinitum Christmas Plan, then you’ll have noted our reference to the three postures— surrender, generosity, and mission—in the liminal space of our text. Infinitum is based on One vision—follow Jesus; Two virtues—loving God and loving others; and the three postures. In Day 4 and today, we are looking at love in the text in ways that the world typically overlooks. Yesterday’s love was God loving beyond our limitations. Today’s love is God loving outside of our paradigms. God’s understanding of liminal space is both broader and deeper than our comprehension. 

Observation: Can you imagine how tense that home would have been? For five months within those constricted four walls, Elizabeth is stuck in there with an old man who was mute. She’s old herself, way too old to be having a baby. Wow.

Focus: Zechariah is literally muted. Gabriel seems to have muzzled Zechariah for daring to question him (or, for the lack of faith that the questioning implied). This sounds like a firm rebuke. And the people all noticed it. 

If we stop the story right there it sounds like the negative stereotype the world has of a god who punished and wags his finger at us, annoyed by our disobedience. Nothing new to see here.

Yet, the story doesn’t end there. Elizabeth gets pregnant, confesses that her disgrace has been removed by God, and John is born. Later in the chapter (1:67-79) Zechariah bursts forth in jubilant prophetic celebration. 

The vocal suppression only intensified the supernatural essence of what had happened in the holy place and what was happening in Elizabeth’s womb. What looked from without as punishment was love-in-waiting. Romans 8:23-25 (MSG) underlines this experience: “Waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.”

The painting from Day 1, 'Making Room for Limits' is from an upcoming book by Bette Dickinson called, Making Room in Advent: 25 Devotions for a Season of Wonder scheduled to be published by InterVarsity Press in Fall 2022. The book will include original paintings and devotional readings in Luke 1-2.  For more information visit BetteDickson.com