The problem
with the church in these days leading up to Christmas is that we’ve toned our
message down to “milk toast” consistency.
Jesus’ birth has in many ways become just another sentimental love story
of boy meets girl; girl meets God; girl has God’s baby….
What if our
celebration of Christmas is more than just telling a story of a cute little
baby in Bethlehem? I think we have
underestimated the radical implications of what it means that God has become one
of us. I also think that we have underestimated
Mary’s radical rebelliousness. In
Hebrew, Mary’s name is Miriam which literally means “their rebellion”. She and her people certainly have a lot to
rebel against. The Roman Empire has demanded
that she and her people revere Caesar as God or Son of God. Taxation has been corrupt and
oppressive. The Empire’s construction
projects are backbreaking and exploitative.
Religious leaders have colluded with the Empire in a temple system that
favors the rich while abusing widows and orphans.
It is in
this context that an angel visits Mary informing her of God’s plans both for
her and her people. Unlike the temple
priest Zechariah, who resists this insider information, Mary not only welcomes
it, but becomes a willing conspirator in God’s holy mischievous plot. Upon hearing of God’s plans that she will
bear the Christ child, this knocked-up, teenaged, unwed mother living in
poverty breaks into a raucous song of protest:
The lyrics of which go something like this:
“My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit
rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his
servant…He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the
thoughts of their hearts. He has brought
down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled
the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1).
There’s a
fancy Greek word that some really smart people like to toss around when it
comes to Mary. They refer to her as
“Theotokos” – “Mother of God”. But I once
heard someone say that Mary should go by another name. “Punkotokos”.
“Mother of all rebels with a cause”.
(Now we’re talkin’!!) And what
might that cause be? Well, given all
that her son did in his life, my guess is that the cause has something to do
with loving enemies, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, tending the sick
and visiting those in prison.
Does the
church dare to join this rebel cause? Do
we dare say to “The Man” that there is an alternative way of living, wherein the lowly are lifted up and the mighty are brought down? Does the church dare to come down off its
pedestal of dogma, doctrine and tradition to actually embody Mary’s protest
song?
How we
answer these questions, will determine our future (as well it should).
Peace and Love,
Pastor Doug
