Seasons of Solitude and Seasons of Connection

In the build up to Christmas this year, the season we call Advent, we’ve been focusing on the parallel yet very different “surprise pregnancy” of Mary’s elderly cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah.

Today the pastor-writers at Sanctified Art enrich our Advent reflections by inviting us to notice a particular detail in Elizabeth’s story, shared just after Zechariah’s encounter with the angel telling him they would become pregnant with a son:

After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.  “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Luke 1:24, 25

Elizabeth responds to her pregnancy by spending five months in solitude, cradling this joyous surprise close to her heart, thanking God over and over for the gift of the child to come. It seems there was real goodness for her in this season of inwardness and preparation. Have you experienced seasons like this, where you’ve deeply needed time on your own?

Mary responds differently to her own surprise pregnancy. Where Elizabeth turns inward, Mary rushes out to share her joy, creating a powerful moment of connection between the two women and even the babes within their wombs.

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Luke 1:39-45

Have you experienced seasons like this, where you’ve deeply craved or been drawn into a community of support and encouragement? As artist Nicolette Peñaranda reminds us, “we do not need to do the hard things alone.”

As you look at the artwork below, take a few moments to talk with Jesus about these different experiences of solitude and community. Where was Jesus in each of them? How might Jesus be looking to meet you today?

Two Mothers, by Nicolette Peñaranda @sanctifiedart

Inspired by Luke 1:24-45 - Acrylic, ink, and mixed media collage on canvas