The Christmas story is truly one of love – God’s love for us, Mary’s love for her baby – but the love that stands out for me this Christmas is Joseph’s love for Mary. When Mary found out she was pregnant she and Joseph were engaged to be married. At that time, it was considered extremely shameful to be pregnant if you were not married. Joseph would have been expected at the very least to end their engagement and could have even had her stoned. Joseph wrestled with what to do because he loved Mary but felt pressure from the culture that he was raised in.
When the angel came to Joseph, I am sure the message that Mary was carrying God’s son was met with relief. He could be with the one he loved! I am sure that Mary and Joseph still faced a fair amount of judgement from their community, but the angel’s message was the push they needed to put their faith in love.
Mary and Joseph’s love in the face of adversity is a message of courage and strength to all those who face judgement for who or how they love. Joseph sets the example for us that family is what you make it not what society dictates. We are living in a time when there are many different ways to be a family but often people who belong to non-traditional families face discrimination from society.
Like Joseph, we may struggle to find the courage to publicly choose love. Joseph’s story reminds us that it is okay to wrestle with that decision and wait for the support you need to come out to the world. Above all, Joseph’s commitment to Mary reminds us that facing that discrimination will not be easy, but it will be worth it!