Mary's prophetic psalm of praise and protest

Without looking we have arrived at the fourth Sunday of Advent with its theme of love. As we rush headlong into Christmas we are invited, on this day we traditionally focus on Mary, to stop and take a moment to rest with Mary and Elisabeth in this intimate and holy moment.

With Mary we will sing and pray her prophetic psalm of praise and protest. Yes protest. We are too used to singing it from our place of privilege. This is the song of an invisible poor peasant girl from a small unimportant village in a land under brutal occupation voicing God’s protest against the powerful, important, wealthy and privileged elite who defined who mattered and who didn’t. Her fear and uncertainty mingled with hope and lead to her to voice what the outworking of God’s love looks like. God’s love and justice starts with Mary, the God-bearer; and all the poor and so called unimportant men and women who are defined by God as of utmost importance and value. We see them today in migrant caravans, refugee camps, on our streets. The reign of God is not good news for everyone.

In light of that psalm, as we approach Christmas what might we need to let go of to live God’s love for: ourselves; our neighbours; all humanity; creation?