Another December is
upon us in America, bringing, as usual, the long solstice nights and the beginning of
winter. It is always a marvel that the coldest and darkest season is begun
with the warmest and most cherished holidays. What other season has such a
spectrum of observances? They range from houses festooned with lights, to the
ubiquitous music and carols, to the incredible variety of movies, plays, books
and stories. It seems no matter how difficult the year has been, or how shear
the looming fiscal cliff, the holidays bring a respite from worry with its
reassurances that Santa doesn't forget, Scrooge can be transformed, the Menorah
will be lit, and the Infant has been born.
Among the
season’s timeless stories, one is especially appropriate for a clinic in Haiti.
In fact, it inspired Visitation Clinic’s name. It was written by Luke, a
physician, who tells of two Jewish women, one young, one old, who find
themselves unexpectedly pregnant. The older one lives in the southern mountains
and being six-months pregnant, she needs help. The younger one is a poorer
relative who lives in the north, but when she hears of her cousin’s need, she
hastily sets out to assist her. The distance is over a hundred miles, and
donkeys are expensive, so she most likely walks the entire way. The journey is
difficult and risky, with, perhaps, the danger of rejection, since she is
unmarried and her older relative is the respectable wife of a priest, and the
daughter of the high priest. So Mary greets her cousin first. But Elizabeth is
not just welcoming; she feels her baby leap and exclaims her delight and honor
by the visit. She proclaims her blessing and seems to know that their babies
will change history. The story ends with the young Mary proclaiming her own
gratitude, praise, and her affirmation of one of the great inversions found in
scripture, “He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the
lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent
empty away.” She then stays for three months to help out.
