How do you know when you’ve had a divine encounter?

Not every experience of the Divine is as momentous as Mary’s encounter with the angel in Luke 1:26-38, but Mary’s experience can be seen as a kind of archetypal representation of what a divine encounter can do in our lives.

An authentic God experience generally gives us two things that are foundational to a healthy and transformative spiritual life. First, such experiences give us ground to stand on.

When the angel first appears Mary is fearful and perplexed. The angel says, “Greetings, favored one! . . . Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have favor with God.” Isn’t it interesting that almost every time God or an angel of God appears in the Bible, the first message communicated to the recipient is, “Do not be afraid!” It would seem that being fearful of the Divine has been a problem throughout human history.

The first thing Mary had to let go of was her fear.  And the first thing she needed to embrace was God’s love. Mary is assured, first of all, that she is favored, that she is loved by God. Mary is just an ordinary Jewish girl trying to get by in a patriarchal culture. It would have been quite normal for her to feel devalued and inferior.

All authentic God experiences beckon us to stand on the solid ground of God’s unconditional love. We hear God say, “You are my beloved daughter/son, on you my favor rests” (see Mark 1:11). This is not based on merit, status, or any accomplishment. It is God’s eternal disposition toward all God’s children.

The second thing a genuine God experience gives us is a vast Mystery to explore.  In 2 Samuel 7, David wants to build God a house, but God doesn’t want a house. The reason I believe God doesn’t want a house is because of our perennial temptation to limit and confine God to the house that is built. Isn’t this what we tend to do with our creeds and doctrinal confessions?

I grew up in a particular Baptist tradition. I was taught certitudes about God. For a long time, I never thought to question those certitudes because I was taught that nothing good could come from such questioning. My house had to collapse before I could stand on more solid ground and dare to explore the Great Mystery.

Images of God that strike fear (like “I will torture you if you don’t obey me”) and childish images (like “I’m making a list, checking it twice, in order to find out who is naughty and nice”) — the torturing god and the Santa Clause god — must be demolished before we can dare to trust the Divine flow of Spirit to carry us into a larger, more beautiful, mystical, paradoxical, and enchanted world.

Mary found herself grasped by a magnanimous love, chosen by a greater Someone, and that gave her the courage to participate in a larger story regardless of what it would cost her (a degraded reputation and eventually a broken heart). Mary’s response to her encounter with Mystery provides the quintessential pattern for all of us: “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”

If I was given a Christmas wish for my readers it would be this: I wish for your house to collapse so that the vast Mystery incarnate in this material world (and in you and me) might envelop you in love and entice you to participate in the one really true “never-ending story.”

Mary was willing to trust and surrender to the Great Love and Mystery that formed the Christ child in her. What about us? Are we open and receptive enough, willing to make space, time, and opportunity for the Christ image to be formed in us?

Chuck Queen is a Baptist minister and the author of Being a Progressive Christian (is not) for Dummies (nor for know-it-alls): An Evolution of Faith. Chuck blogs at A Fresh Perspective, and is also a contributor to the blog Faith Forward.