The Virgin Mary is a role model for all Christian believers. To ponder her place in the Advent story is to come face to face with what true spirituality looks like, especially in the areas of faith, obedience, worship, reflection, and mission.

Even Protestant evangelicals—who typically do not ascribe to Mary the same exalted status that Catholic believers do (e.g., Mother of God, Theotokos, Co-Redemtrix, Queen of Heaven, etc.)—are moved, encouraged, and challenged by her submission to the divine plan.

But what if the Virgin Birth of Christ never really happened? What if the whole account is simply a spiritual metaphor, a deceitful fabrication, or an exercise in pious fiction? Is there anything left to ponder if the Advent story as presented in Scripture is not historical? Is Christmas even worth observing if Jesus was a mere mortal who was born in a most ordinary way?  Continue Reading…