Synchronized Heartbeats

Luke 1:46b–48 “My soul glorifies the Lord          and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful          of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed[.]” CONSIDER THIS Before I ever stepped into ministry as a profession, I was a disc jockey at a radio station in the little East Texas town I grew up in. For almost ten years, I spun records and played the best of the ’50s, ’60s, and early ’70s. I loved being a DJ. In fact, one of my favorite segments called “Did You Know?” was one I would do every Friday morning. Each week, I would scour the various news wires and magazines in search of interesting statistics, world records, scientific facts, and random pieces of trivia, and carry that as a news segment for listeners. It’s funny the things that have spilled over from my radio life into my preaching life. I have been out of radio for more than twenty-five years now, but to this day, I still save stories that interest me. In a preacher’s world, “Sunday is always coming,” and a good sermon illustration is always handy to have on hand. So, when I read Mary’s famous song known as the Magnificat (Luke 1:46b–55), I can’t help but recall a study that I came across in my reading. Curious researchers at a university in Gothenburg, Sweden, wanted to know what happened to the heart rates of high school choir members when they joined their voices and sang together in song. Using pulse monitors attached to the members’ ears, the researchers monitored changes found in their heartbeats as they navigated through a choral piece of music, and what they found surprised them. In a very short period of time, the different singers in the choir didn’t just unify their voices, “their pulse rates also synchronized, their hearts beating together in relationship to their breaths.”1 How cool is that? Quite literally, not only were they singing together and alongside one another, their own hearts were beating in unison as well. I truly believe that there is something beautiful that happens when we sing together. Even more beautiful is when our hearts are in sync with God’s heart. In Mary’s song, I like to think that this was the case as she sang before the Lord. Not only was she singing with her voice, but I wonder if her heartbeat synched in perfect rhythm to the very one inside her womb, Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. Today, let’s look at the first few verses of Mary’s song to the Lord. Mary sang, “My soul magnifies the Lord” (v. 46b ESV). To magnify something doesn’t make the object bigger, it simply helps us see the object for what it truly is. How easy would it have been for Mary to magnify the fear, uncertainty, or all the questions that stood ahead of her, but she didn’t. She chose to magnify the Lord for who he is and what he was doing in her midst. Mary magnified the Lord. But she didn’t stop there. She also rejoiced. Mary sang, “my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (v. 47). Here in this moment, her joy was not rooted in her status or position, but in God, her heavenly Father. Joy based on circumstances, status, or position can easily fluctuate and change. Joy that is rooted in the unchanging love of God is a joy that withstands. From there, she declared the following: “for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant” (v. 48a). The beauty in this stanza is found here. Mary had an exalted view of God, not in herself. That is humility. God can and will always work with hearts that are humble. God specializes in using ordinary people whose limitations make them ideal showcases for his greatness and glory. Mary magnified, she rejoiced, and she showed incredible humility. That’s a song we all can join in on. THE PRAYER  Eternal God, today we magnify your name and rejoice in your abundant love and provision found within our lives. May your presence fill our hearts with joy and guide us in all we say and do. In Jesus’s name, amen. THE QUESTIONS Mary magnified, rejoiced, and recognized the greatness of God in comparison to who and whose she was. Where does this encourage you, and how does this challenge you today?