The song of Mary proclaims that the mighty are pulled down and the lowly are lifted up. It does not proclaim that one "mighty" group is replaced by another "mighty" group.
Jesus loved to go away and pray by himself. He even had an extended desert experience. Canadians seek a cottage setting, an isolated lake and a canoe. There is time for withdrawal, time for a hidden life. But for Jesus and for his disciples and for each of us withdrawal is for return. Jesus was impelled by the Spirit to engage the issues of his time. In a brief year or three he made an impact that continues to change the course of human history and as we Christians believe the history and destiny of the universe.
Oftentimes, when there is a person who does great things there is a parent behind them. Christians speak of the only Son of the Father but also speak of the son of Mary. Jesus is the son of Mary. The scripture tells us that Mary is the mother of Jesus (Acts 1:14). It is evident that the early community viewed her as more than simply a "birth mother."
In the passage from Luke 1:47–55 -- she is the one who sings of God active in history, merciful and effecting change. In the language of today, the Spirit moves people to critique and rise against those who exploit their fellow human beings. Wherever there are protests I suspect that if you don't see mothers and grandmothers on the front lines, they are behind the scenes encouraging and giving support and inspiration. To say that Mary was the mother of Jesus says that he was nurtured in a family that lived a radical spiritual honesty. If Jesus is like he is then the early Church and we too can believe that Mary too is like that - honest and courageous; notwithstanding the scriptural evidence that Jesus at times distanced himself from his family as he chose not to be guided by concern for his own safety but to be guided by the will of the Father.
The people of Jesus' time and place were family people. The family was understood to be a major influence on the character and behaviour of a person. If Jesus spoke out against the exploitation of his people and the abuse of power his mother approved and so the Gospel has her singing the magnificat -- a song of praise that rejoices in "regime change."
We are in a time of regime change. Across the countries of the middle East there are protests and voices calling for honesty, just sharing of resources and more democratic political behaviour. In North American and European cities an "Occupy Wall Street" movement has drawn continuing attention to the huge disparities of income that characterize our economic situation. The .01 percent entitled to millions, the middle class squeezed, the poor dropping out of the system. The analysis is that the politicians -- most evidently in the United States -- have not done their job. The duty of oversight, the duty of care for the good of the whole people, has been sadly neglected. The huge housing and mortgage crisis is one result of a corruption in the political sphere making it possible for the few to benefit from the misery of the many.
Jesus challenged this state of affairs in his own time. He encouraged the poor, the dispossessed, the oppressed to recognize their value before God. We are disciples of Jesus, formed in his Holy Spirit. The implication is that we too will critique and and stand against a state of affairs that supports a corrupt political and economic order. There is much work to be done.
This Christmas period is a time to ponder the birth of Jesus. As we approach this moment we recognize that the birth of the Saviour has given us much room for joy. This authentic joy is authentic because it does not shy away from knowing the worst and believes that the worst has been overcome by the very best.
