Mary's Song

I was reading the Magnificat in Luke’s Gospel today (Luke 1:46-55) and I was struck by the fierceness of it.  Mary is often described as meek and mild, but the strong language of this song of praise paints a very different picture.  Mary has found herself in a situation that I imagine must have felt completely overwhelming and very scary.  And yet, when she goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth, she sings a powerful song about God’s goodness.  She speaks prophetic words about God upending the world, setting right the wrongs, and lifting up those who have been pushed down.  Fierce!

Mary’s song looks back and remembers that God has been faithful in the past and has cared for and delivered her ancestors through all sorts of overwhelming and scary things.  She reminds herself of who God is and what God is capable of - that no matter how difficult her situation feels, it is not too much for God.  And then she fiercely proclaims that God is the one who cares for all who are in need. God sees all the people who have been pushed down and lifts them up - values them and cares for them.  God is the one who comes to set all the wrongs of the world right.  Mary not only places her trust and hope for her own future in God’s goodness and God’s justice, but also her trust and hope for all the world.

As we begin our Advent season, this fierce message of hope is exactly what I need.  I have found myself feeling quite overwhelmed lately by my own struggles in life as well as all the pain in the world – all the anger, hatred, and cruelty.  Sometimes it all feels like too much.  It can feel scary and I often do not know how to respond.  And so Mary’s song is a wonderful reminder to me that God is good, God is faithful, and God is the one in whom I place my trust.  Just like Mary, I can face whatever struggles or unexpected challenges life throws at me, because I am not facing them alone.  God is with me.  Like Mary, I can trust that no matter what wrongs are taking place in the world, God’s love is bigger.  And I can share this amazing message.  I can sing a song of praise and remind people of who God is and what God is capable of - boldly proclaim God’s goodness and God’s activity in the world as the one who feeds the hungry and lifts up those who are pushed down.  God’s goodness is bigger, God’s love is stronger, than even the worst the world has to offer.

Advent is a season of hope - fierce hope.  Hope that is grounded in God’s undying love and God’s unending faithfulness.  Advent hope is not a warm fuzzy feeling that “everything is going to be alright,” but a resilient promise that nothing can stop God’s love, nothing can stop God from working to make things right in the world.  This is the hope that we can lean on when things feel scary, when life feels overwhelming.  So no matter what goes wrong in our life or in our world, no matter how we are feeling today or tomorrow, the promise and the hope remains.

As we prepare our hearts and our homes for Christmas this year, may we be filled with the fierce hope of Mary.  Trusting in God’s goodness, let us pray, “Come, O come Emmanuel.” Come and set things right.  Come and bring your justice. Come and care for all in need.   Come and transform the world.