The
assassination of US President John F. Kennedy stunned people around the globe
59 years ago. The day after the shooting, an article in The Times
(London) spoke of the reverberations being felt throughout world financial
markets. It carried the headline, “All Other Events Overshadowed by US
Tragedy.”
There are
times in our lives when a death, a tragedy, or a sudden turn of events eclipses
everything else. It happened to an unmarried young woman who was told that she
would become the mother of the promised Messiah, God’s Son (Luke 1:26-33). When
she asked how this could happen, the angel Gabriel said, “The Holy Spirit will
come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you” (v.35).
The
impossibility in Mary’s life was overshadowed not by darkness but by the
brightness of God’s glory and power. Her response continues to leave us in awe:
“Let it be to me according to your word” (v.38).
As we read the Christmas story and consider the birth of Jesus into our world, it’s worth pondering the word overshadowed. It speaks so powerfully of the Lord’s presence in our hearts and His ability to outshine the darkest moments.
