A couple of weeks ago, the gospel reading from Luke was about when the priest Zechariah pronounced a blessing on his newborn child. First, however, he recounted the story of God’s faithfulness to God’s people and how God was about to act in a way that fulfilled God’s promises of a forever renewed covenant. There was someone coming, foresaw Zechariah, who would be the very embodiment of this promise and it would be his now infant child who would prepare the way for this special one. However, to get ready for this one would require big changes within and between the people. While many found the prospect of this new way attractive, others saw it as a threat. Have you ever drawn on ancient stories for strength and as a way to understand the present and look forward to the future? If so, what did this require of you?