One of the names for the Messiah is Emmanuel which means God with us. God was certainly with us in the person of Jesus, but God is also with us today and yearns for our presence as well.

Sometimes we can experience Gods presence in another person, as Mary does in Elizabeth. Also, we may be the presence of God for another person, as Elizabeth is for Mary. In either case we have to be aware of Gods presence for us and in us.

Dont be afraid the angel tells Mary. To encounter the presence of God in any form (even a messenger) may lead us into places we never intended or wanted to go. Even so, dont be afraid.

The promise of God throughout the Bible is simply this, I will be with you. Jesus picks up the theme when he tells his followers that he will be with them even to the end of the age. God is constantly present with us. Are we willing to be with God?

Jesus calls the Temple a house of prayer for all nations, not simply the Jewish people. Have we made our church a house of prayer for all nations, not just our nation

Jesus instructs his disciples to love their enemies and to pray for those who persecute them. He gives them the example of this radical kind of prayer when he offers a prayer that God will forgive those who are crucifying him. Will we do the same?