“Behold the handmaiden of the Lord, let it be done to me according to Thy Word.”  Mary in the Gospel of Luke

“Behold what manner of love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be called children of God.”  1 John

Behold.  That word caught my attention this Christmas.  Maybe because we don’t hear it said very often in English.  Or maybe because it is spoken all the time in the Gospel of Luke;  Forty-three times by one count.  The word is used in a variety of ways.  Here are some of the most common: 

Attention.  Amazement. Awe. 

Mary was in awe at the announcement by the angel that she would be the mother of Jesus. 

The shepherds were in awe at the appearance of the heavenly host.

The Magi were amazed at the star that led them to Bethlehem.

To Behold is to take a sacred pause in order to appreciate something mystical and magical that God is doing right before our eyes, most likely in ways that are unimaginable.

As you reflect on Christmas and this past year, what is it that you beheld that got your attention and prompted those deep seated feelings of amazement and awe?

I’m pausing to consider this . . . I can recall a few, the most recent being on my trip to Cambodia.  I can’t speak Khmer, the language in Cambodia, so I spent a lot of time beholding.  Just watching the children as they ate, studied, played, did chores.  It was amazing!

Like most new mothers, Mary certainly must’ve beheld the baby Jesus with wonder and amazement.  This was her child, but also the child of God.  Consider for a moment what that must’ve been like for her.

And then what do you think Mary did?

I’m guessing she did what almost every new mother does; she held him. 

Being held.  It’s the way Jesus was welcomed into this world.  And it’s the way we are also.  This warm embrace gets us started, and as we grow helps us as we attempt to navigate this world. There’s something incredibly comforting and reassuring about being held, whether by a parent, a friend, a lover, a child, or God.

Again, I’m thinking about my time in Cambodia.  There were many rich and meaningful moments. Some of which involved holding.  The day before I left the children and I shared some sweet moments of holding that I will hold in my heart.

I wonder who these children have in their lives to hold them?  Many of them come from homes where parents are absent or have abandoned them.  I know they are held at the Ray of Hope center by the staff.  But I wonder who else holds them?

And I also wonder about who holds you?  Christmas can be a very lonely time for many people.  It’s a time to miss the loved ones who have been lost or who have left us.  One evening this week I was walking down the street and saw a couple of homeless people, and I wondered to myself who holds them?

There’s a famous sculpture by Michelangelo called The Pieta.  It shows Mary holding Jesus after he has been taken from the cross.  There is something tragically sweet about it.  And somewhat paradoxical, as The One she is holding also holds her, and you, and me.  But how?  How does God hold us? 

I suppose I could spiritualize this and write that God holds us through the Spirit.  But I think it’s more tangible than that.  I think God holds us through others.  And when we hold others, we are taking the place, or perhaps even becoming, God for them.  There’s something sacred in a deep embrace.  It is something to behold.

What did you behold this year, or this Christmas, that was amazing and filled you with awe?

Who do you have in your life that holds you?  Or that will hold you when you need it?

Who do you know that needs held?

Perhaps the start of a new year is a time to pause, Behold, and Be Held.