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Something about Mary
by
Capain Danielle Strickland
At an afterschool club in an inner city neighbourhood we spoke
recently about Mary. A friend of mine refers to Mary as the
Catholic boogieman… she comes out at Christmas and scares all
the protestants!
The fear around worshiping Mary often crowds out a proper
response at the amazing reality of Mary’s life story and
witness. And I’d like to consider a couple of important things
about her. Use them to reflect, emulate and well, just for
plain inspiration.
Scripture: Luke 1
Gender.
It is worth some consideration that the Jewish people have
been waiting in silence for 400 years since the last prophetic
announcement of a coming Messiah. That’s a long time to wait -
exacerbated, I’m sure, by the occupation they now find
themselves in, the fever for a Messiah had not been hotter.
Apart from the miraculous intervention of oil in the Temple
during the Maccabean revolt (which is symbolized in Hannakah),
there was stunning silence from the Heavens. Until, Elizabeth
prayed and Mary obeyed.
Then, all of heaven was loosed on earth, and the world would
never be the same. In a middle-eastern culture of degradation
and oppression, in a religious system that pushed down women
to the level of a dog – God shows up at their request, at
their response and through their loving obedience to Him. This
would be the time to write ‘wow’ in the margin of your Bible.
It’s epic.
William Booth (founder of The Salvation Army) once famously
said, ‘(some of) my best men are women’ and most people think
that he meant it as a grudging practical response to the
enormous need – that he ‘had’ to use women to get the job
done. They’d be mistaken. William came to a conclusion, with
many thanks to his heroic wife, Catherine that women were
God’s chosen vessel for Good News. Mary is the case in point,
but it’s incarnation Good News – the event crowning the
history of all events – the start of the good news through the
birth of Jesus is announced by and established through a
woman. The victory of Good News through the resurrection would
also be the honour of women. A coincidence?
Both events are historical shifts – cosmic sized moments of
God communicating beyond words of His intention to redeem all
of humanity – both of them done through women. To be sure men
are also central to the story. Joseph deserves more than a
father’s day nudge for his own obedience and accompaniment of
Mary’s journey, Zechariah’s silence was helpful, and the
offspring of both women were men of Great News and the twelve
disciples etc… but the essential role that women have played
in the ushering in of God’s kingdom come can’t be overstated.
Yet, it’s often overlooked.
Economics.
Back to my neighbourhood; an urban welfare housing estate
full of first generation Australian immigrants whose parents
are on the bottom rung of the economic ladder. As a result,
the kids are not exactly the cream of the crop of civilized
and educated young Australians. None of them are likely to win
Australian youth of the year any time soon. As a matter of
fact, the only extra curricular activities going on in this
neighbourhood are free, volunteer driven, inconsistent, and a
bit lacking in quality. No offense to the volunteers of church
groups that continue to fill the gap- but the reality of their
lives lined up with the wealthier suburban kids in western
worlds… well, it doesn’t compare. These kids are starting at a
deficit. I spoke with a camp leader years ago who was
convinced that one of the best ways to change the nation was
to target wealthy kids at his camps. He recognized that
charity demanded care for the marginalized kids of the world –
but in the real world… we ought to target those who would rise
to be the future leaders, decision makers in the fabric of
society. It’s an interesting angle. Mary was from the urban
welfare masses. She lacked education, economic security and
basic human rights. She was, well, poor. She was on the bottom
economic rung of societies coveted money and status ladder.
You know how you can tell? Read her song. Do it. Read her song
like you are with her in the proclamation of God’s kingdom
come. The song reads like gangster rap lyrics from Compton but
with Heavenly overtones. “Filled the hungry, but sent the rich
away… lifted up the humble, and brought down the proud.” We
may like to think of Mary as a postcard image of humility and
meakness – but her lyrics may just give us a hint of her known
oppressed state overturned by God’s intervention. Mary is a
fighter – she fought the powers and won. She used obedience to
God as a weapon against her enemies and from the bottom rung
she began her climb. And in God’s kingdom come – she ends up
in a great cosmic reversal on the top end of the ladder –
shouting to all who will listen… good news, good news indeed!
Jesus said it himself when he began his public ministry thirty
some years later, although he borrowed an old pop favourite
from Isaiah, “the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has
brought Good News to the POOR.”
Conclusion:
There is a lot more about Mary that’s worth considering.
Most things we’ve admired over the years; her obedience, her
humility, her survival and dependence on the Lord, her favour
with God, her faithful witness raising Jesus, her grief at his
short life and tragic death.
But this season – let’s take a few minutes to reflect on the
revolutionary figure of Mary. Mary the freedom fighter, Mary
the oppressed – set free. Mary, the poor girl from the bad
side of town rising against the odds to defy the world’s
system of power, defy the critics and become central in the
great unfolding drama of God’s kingdom come. Now with that
kind of news, there is something about Mary indeed.
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