Mary Singing, Mary Shouting

And Mary said:

My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things fornme—holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.

• Luke 1:46-55

Mary’s song, often called the Magnificat, is a stunning denouncement of the way the world views power, prestige, and importance. In a moment of absolute clarity she sees what matters, and it’ s not how many likes we get on social media, how many buildings we can force our name onto, or how big our army is.

These days, when there’s so much wrong with the world, it might help us to lean into Mary’s song. It’s not like singing it made a huge difference in her immediate circumstances. She was still a poor woman of color in a backwoods town that was occupied by the European colonizers. And yet, she’s full of hope, even gratitude, that God was indeed at work.

Take some time to ponder what it might be like to align ourselves more and more with Mary. Perhaps this quote by Rachel Held Evans will help.

When sung in a warm, candlelit church at Advent, it can be easy to blunt these words, to imagine them as symbolic, non-specific, comforting. But I’m not feeling sentimental this Advent. I’m feeling angry, restless. And so in this season, I hear Mary’s Magnificat shouted, not sung. - Rachel Held Evans