Losers Who Said "Yes"

“What does it take to be a part of the genealogy of Christ?” As chapel presenters Nate Stuckey and Kenda Creasy Dean read through the genealogy, they decided that there are two things needed to make someone part of the genealogy of Christ: one, the person had to be a “loser,” and two, they had to say yes to God.

If God comes to the world through losers, then He can use losers like us to do His work. There are many “losers” in the genealogy of Christ: Jacob, for example, who deceived both his brother and father, or even Mary, a fourteen-year-old girl at the bottom of the social ladder.

There are lots of reasons to say “no” to God, but a simple “yes” can change everything. There were many reasons for those in Jesus’ genealogy to say “no,” but instead they chose to say yes and accomplished amazing things: Moses said “yes,” even though he did not speak well, and led the Israelites out of Egypt; Sarah said “yes” to God and had a son, Isaac, though she was much too old to have children; Mary said “yes” and it changed the world.

To connect Mary’s story to our own time, clips were shown of FOX’s new show Glee. These clips dealt with another young woman, Quinn, a high school cheerleader and glee club member who has gotten pregnant. In the final clip, the glee club members perform Bill Withers’ Lean on Me, a reminder that they will support Quinn during this difficult time. It is also a reminder that God will support us.

Advent is a time of waiting. We wait for miracles. We wait for someone to hold us and tell us everything is going to be all right. But maybe we are not the only ones waiting. Perhaps God is waiting, too – waiting for us to say “yes.” God sends us love letters, letters of affirmation and invitation. He affirms that all is well and invites us with hope and His plan for our future.

Working for God and with God is not about the self. While working with God, the miracle comes to the forefront, and the self is pushed into the background. Thus, the “loser” becomes transformed. The sign for loser is created by folding down all your fingers and then extending the thumb and index finger to make an “L.” But if you then extend your pinkie finger also, you make the American Sign Language sign for love. This is a simple yet powerful reminder that God has the ability to transform “losers” by the power of His love, if only we will say “yes” to His call.

As a sweet reminder, Hershey kisses were given out at the end of chapel to remind us to say “yes,” even when we feel unqualified.