I've been into the traveling (vacuum cleaner) salesman part of Gabriel's story today. Online I found "secrets for succesful door to door salesmanship". I imagined Gabriel studying those tips. One was - get your client to start saying "yes' to simple questions so that when you ask the big one, they are in the habit (rehearsal) of saying yes. Like: Would you like to buy this vacuum cleaner? Would you like to be the mother of the son of God?
I imagined Gabriel studying. Being confused about whether he was selling vacuum cleaners, or selling Mary a bill of goods. More spiritual crisis as he enters the human realm of consumerism.
I have been wanting to do something with "Death of a Salesman". Today I had an image. To project the film of "Death of a Salesman" with Lee J. Cobb. Gabriel trying to interact with the celluloid image. The angel, unable to comprehend that "it's only a play, it's only a film". He feels the human pain and wants to ease it. The dance is between the celluliod actor and the incarnate angel. Raising the question of: who is in the body? who is embodied?Who is ephemeral in this moment? Who is the angel? Where does the suffering reside?
I'm working backwards through these posts, so having established already that Mary had the God-given right to say "no," it makes sense that Gabriel would have to master a convincing sales pitch.
ReplyDeleteWhat if there really were no back-up candidate for the job? no Plan B because it was assumed that Gabe had never before failed in a mission?
What if Mary really were the one groomed by God from before birth to be the Theotokos, the God-bearer, with the bet being made that the prime candidate to be Mother of God would feel obligated to accept the nomination?
With regards to Gabriel's track record, you will recall (or those of us who had Baptist friends in rural Florida will recall) that Gabriel was once delayed three weeks in answering Daniel's call for help because he was slowed down by the prince of Persia and had to call in Michael the archangel as backup support. But Mike and Gabe together got the job done; I quote an edited version from a Bible-believin' website that offers a gloss on the verses from the Book of Daniel:
''Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.' The messenger sent to Daniel was Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. This angel is not referred to as an archangel. Only Michael carries that title in the Scripture. Gabriel, a powerful angelic majesty and servant of Almighty God is shown in these passages as being resisted by the prince of Persia. Those resisting him are not men but powerful fallen angels under the command of Satan. This combat took place in the heavenlies."