What I’m Thinking: The Power of Believing

Joseph didn’t believe Mary when she told him her child was given her by God – but how different would it have been if he had? Is there anything so powerful as for someone to believe us?

Here’s a transcript:

I’m thinking this week about what happened between Mary and Joseph before the birth of Jesus, at least as it’s described in the book of Matthew (Matthew 1:18-25). In that story, when Joseph finds out that Mary is going to have a child – even though it says that she’s with child by the Holy Spirit – he resolves to put her away quietly. That is, not to make a big fuss, and to allow her some dignity in the separation and the cancellation of their marriage.

But an angel comes to Joseph in a dream, and in the dream Joseph hears that, in fact, Mary had told him the truth.

Now in these days where truth has seemed so so far away from us, where what is true and what is not – particularly in this campaign season of the summer and fall (truth has, in fact, been I think the first casualty of the political wars) – this story demonstrates just how powerful it is when we believe something that somebody has told us. 

Joseph could have believed Mary, even though his logical response was, “Really? Really?”

Really.

So, with someone whom you love – I guess that’s my best advice for this week – is to think as you hear something improbable, as you hear something unlikely, as you hear something that perhaps you don’t want to hear, and to believe them.

Because you love them.

Because they love you.

And because it means so much that you believe in their truth.