This homily is shorter than usual, because tomorrow's service will begin with a Sunday School presentation.

Text: Luke 1.26-38

In case you hadn’t noticed, we are in the midst of a federal election. I used to follow every election campaign avidly, but it’s now much harder for me to get excited about these things. What’s more, I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in feeling this way.

It’s a shame, because there is so much at stake in any election, but what we hear from so many people is distrust of politicians. I suspect that this comes partly from over-familiarity. In the days of John A. Macdonald or even Mackenzie King, people didn’t see and hear their political leaders every day as we do. One of the facts of political life is that people often have to backtrack, and we then perceive them as having broken promises.

Everyone makes promises from time to time. And almost everyone finds it necessary occasionally to break promises. It even happens to parents:
"Can we go to the zoo on Sunday?"
"Sure," I said…and then it poured rain all day Sunday.
"Sorry, sweetie, we can’t go today."
"But you promised!"

As we become adults, we learn to distrust people’s promises. We become cautious, even suspicious. We want things spelled out in painstaking detail.

People may be less than totally trustworthy, but there is one who is good for every promise. God promised that his love for us would never end. God promised that he would be victorious. God promised that he would send a Saviour, the incarnation of God’s love, the conqueror of sin and death.

The fulfillment of God’s promise began with another promise, as the angel told Mary that she would bear a son. "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High…"

Today we remember how God’s victory began—not with armies and thunder and lightning, but with a young woman, in a village in Galilee, hearing a promise of new life within her. We hear her astonishment at the angel’s words, and we hear her humble acceptance of the great trust God has placed in her.

And we give thanks—for God’s promises, for the fulfillment of those promises, and for the Virgin Mary, through whom the great promise came to be.