How Magnifying!

Luke 1:46b-55

On Tuesday our high school Academy held the first of our biannual mock interviews. It's where we bring in real people from the real world to hold actual job interviews for the juniors and seniors in our Academy. This first round of interviews is the culmination of an entire semester's work in preparing the students for everything from proper sitting posture to positive word choices to the best way to format a resume when it comes to finding a job and, most importantly, getting hired.

This year we utilized several different interviewers from organizations such as The Rotary Club and The Military. These interviewers go from campus to campus on our island during the school year and volunteer their time to help our youth improve their interviewing skills. When we gathered in the morning for coffee and donuts a few of the interviewers said to us how much they enjoy doing these interviews, but lately it would seem that the schools aren't doing a good job in preparing their kids.

That wasn't what they said to us as the day progressed.

Youth after youth sat across from these interviewers and did nothing except impress them. They told us about how our kids were mature, had solid plans for after high school, was open to any criticism, was dressed professionally, and put forth a positive attitude with both their presence and their answers.

I don't want to come across as bragging, but...I have to agree that our kids did very well; impressing even us, their teachers.



When we talked to a few of them about their experience they said they wanted to do good, that they wanted to represent themselves and the Academy in a positive light. They wanted people to see them in the positive light they knew they were. In the words from Mary in today's passage, "Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored because the mighty one has done great things for me."

Mary says this as part of her Magnificat, a sort of self-exaltation proclaiming that now she is revered as one of the great ones, even though she is still counted among the lowly. In other words, Mary has become an equal with all things, and she's done this because she has been blessed to bear the Christ-child.

Christians are asked to carry the Christ-child as well. We are to carry him within us, allowing him to grow until the day he is ready to be shown to the world. Meanwhile, we are asked to prepare ourselves and do the work necessary so that when the Christ we carry is revealed we, too, can be celebrated as one of the few who stand out in magnified light against the darkness of the world.

As teachers, we felt proud for our young men and women, just as I'm sure Mary felt proud for her son. And just as Jesus grew to be a strong man, ready to bring the news of God's love to the world in which he lived, I know those we prepare can and will do the same.