Ms. Mary

After spending some time thinking about Mary, I have a new found affinity for her - her struggles, challenges, and voice in the scriptures. I gave a little homily on Christmas Eve on the wonders of Mary. I share it below:

Tonight, we imagine Mary in the manger holding the Christ child in her
arms. Often we think of her holding the perfectly clean baby, her hair
gently flowing over her shoulders, her body wrapped in a cozy wool
blanket. This tidy image is lovely, but there is something about it that
is also untouchable – and it’s not real.

We forget when Mary welcomed Christ to earth that faithful night, she also
invited the first century’s version of diapers in to her life. For Jesus
was both God and man, and I bet Mary knew his humanness deeply. She was
reminded of it each time she burped her new child on her shoulder and when
he cried waking her up in the middle of the night. She was reminded of it
later as she watched his body grow through the gangly transition from boy
to man, and listened to him argue for a later bed time.

Mary was likely glowing with all the shine of a young mother that December
night – but I bet she was also scared. Scared of dropping him, of not
giving her precious baby enough nourishment. Still, God chose her – not
because she had some special training, but because she was one of us.
Beautiful, flawed and human.

Tonight, on Christmas Eve, we remember the miracle of God on earth – and
all that entails. Yet, through Mary we also remember that Jesus was a man,
a human being. And just as Mary loved the humanness of her son, so does
God love us in our humanness. God loved us when we were young and
vulnerable on our parent’s shoulder, and as we argued to stay later at the
mall with friends – and God continues to love us as we negotiate with all
the ups and downs of an uncertain life in hectic times.

This is just one of the many miracles of Christmas. That in the midst of
the magic was people, learning, growing, and loving in all of their
beautiful flawed humanness – just like us.