Gospel in Art: How will this be, since I am a virgin?

Blurred Lines, painting by Adam Lupton, 2016. Oil on canvas. © Image courtesy of the artist, Adam Lupton

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 22 August 2026
Luke 1:26-38

At that time: The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!' But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.'

And Mary said to the angel, 'How will this be, since I am a virgin?' And the angel answered her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy - the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.' And Mary said, 'Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her.

Reflection on the painting

In today's Gospel, Mary says 'yes' to God's invitation to become the Mother of Jesus. But that 'yes' did not come without hesitation or struggle. When the angel first appeared, Mary was deeply troubled. She could not understand how what the angel was saying could possibly happen, and she asked an honest question: 'How will this be, since I am a virgin?' . Only then after reflection and placing her trust in God did she finally say, "Let it be done to me according to your word." Mary's faith was not blind. It grew through listening, questioning, struggling and trusting.

Jesus Himself experienced something very similar. In the Garden of Gethsemane, on the night before He died, He struggled with what lay ahead. He prayed that, if possible, the suffering might pass Him by. Yet in the end He placed everything into His Father's hands, praying, "Not my will, but yours be done." Both Mary and Jesus remind us that following God's will is not always easy, and personal struggles are involved. Even Mary and Jesus experienced moments of struggle before they found the strength to say 'yes'.

The same is true for us. Faith is not about never having doubts or always feeling close to God. Sometimes our struggles are small: finding time to pray, forgiving someone, or trying to be patient. At other times the struggles can feel overwhelming: losing someone we love, facing illness, or wondering where God is in the middle of our suffering. There may even be moments when our whole faith seems to be shaken. Yet these struggles are not a sign that God has left us. Very often they are the very places where our faith grows the most. Like Mary and like Jesus, we are simply asked to keep trusting, one step at a time. God can do great things through a heart that continues to say 'yes', even when the journey is difficult

Our contemporary painting, Blurred Lines by Canadian artist Adam Lupton, captures this experience beautifully. At first glance we see a young man sitting quietly, yet his face seems to shift and blur before our eyes. It is as though he is searching for clarity but cannot quite find it. The distorted features suggest confusion, uncertainty and an inner struggle. We recognise that feeling. There are moments in our own faith lives when we do not know where our heads are at. We feel shaken, uncertain about the future, and even unsure where God is leading us.

That is part of the journey of faith. God does not expect us to have everything worked out. Mary did not. Peter certainly did not. Even Jesus experienced anguish in Gethsemane. Faith is not about seeing everything clearly; it is about trusting the One who sees clearly for us. Like the figure in Lupton's painting, we may sometimes feel that life has become blurred. Yet God patiently leads us through the confusion, until, little by little, His plan comes back into focus.

LINKS

Christian Art: www.christian.art
Today's image: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-1-26-38-2026-2/