Imagine the leap of faith it took for both Joseph and Mary to comprehend what God was doing. “Greetings, O favored one!” the angel tells Mary. “Don’t be afraid to take her as you wife,” an angel tells Joseph. We all need this message of courage when we strive to trust God’s outlandish promises in the face of what we fear. Emmanuel is more than a name for the Messiah or a song of praise: it is the promise that we are never alone. “God is with us” even when our world is turned upside down!