What Mary Knew
Prior to 2020 I had never, ever studied the life of Mary. She’s in the crèche I pull out every Christmas, but kind of boring (it’s the ritually unclean shepherds having their minds blown by the psychedelic light show in the sky which always interested me).
I’m not Catholic so Mary has never really held any special power or interest for me, especially since she’s always up on a pedestal looking all pure and pious and the exact opposite of anything I want to be. But honestly this year set me on a bizarre journey to study the very Jewish Jesus in the Christian Bible and all the interactions he had with women, including the first: his Mama.
And maybe it’s because I lost my own Mama last Christmas that suddenly Mary’s story has taken on more interest to me, but surprise, surprise… she was actually kind of a badass.
Last month I got to speak at a book roundtable event on the topic of grief and mourning, which I’d enthusiastically said yes before really thinking it through. One of the chapters in the book I was speaking on was about Mary. And how at the worst moment of her life, when her son was being brutally, horrifically, publicly killed, she did not run away and hide or curl up in the fetal position — though I’m sure she did at some point. At that most terrible of moments, it is recorded that she stood straight and tall at her firstborn son’s feet as his life drained away. She met the worst moment of her life standing on two feet.
And then there’s this song that she sings. No, not that horrible saccharine ‘Mary did you know’ drivel (apologies if you love it, but it’s my second least favorite song after the ‘Little Drummer Boy,’ which also features Mary). Instead it’s the song which includes the lyrics straight out of the image below.
Of God, she boldly states, “He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones and lifted up the lowly! He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands!”
It’s always been there, those words, but I guess it took 2020 for it to resonate. And unlike every other year of my life when I kinda passed her over as uninteresting and boring up her pedestal of piety, this year I see Mary as strong and powerful, a woman willing to face the hard stuff straight on, who recognizes with great clarity just who is in charge, identifying the wild counter-cultural Creator for being the exact opposite of what anyone would expect in a God, both 2000 years ago and today.
Of COURSE she freaking knew (so let’s stop playing that song, pleeeeaaase?). Mary was preaching it loud and clear, I just wasn’t listening before. But I am now.
The next time I end up in a cathedral and see her up there on a pedestal, I’m sure I’ll see her in a whole new light. And maybe instead of wanting to be the opposite of Mary, I want to be a little bit more like her. Especially after this year.
We’ve ALL seen some stuff in 2020 that has changed us. And spoiler alert we WILL see more in the year to come. I hope and pray that whatever comes to greet us, we will face it boldly, standing courageously on our own two feet.
