Mary's Protest Chant

The mess of the world trickles down and collects around the people living at the bottom of society’s heirarchy. That’s exactly where God came into the world as baby Jesus…. Jesus, still covered in the mess of his birth, laid on Mary’s sweaty and swollen chest and dexclared, “God is here and needs you to survive.”
- Rev. Riana Shaw Robinson

When Pastor Riana spoke these words over us as a church last summer, they struck home to many of us, reminding us of how remarkably human Jesus was. And how he came first and foremost to those on whom the mess of society had spilled all over.

That’s why we’ve been looking at the grandmothers (the abuelitas) in the lineage of Jesus in Matthew 1. Each of them had stories of pain and pus and grave injustices. And yet they were the ones both used by God in might ways and self-actualized in their own resilience and righteousness. So with this perspective, and with the abuelitas in the wing, as we come to celebrate Christmas, we get to pick up the tune of Mary’s protest chant. (NOTE: some use the fancy latin term ‘Magnificat’ to label Mary’s words here, but as you read these lines, see if it doesn’t sound more like something at a BLM rally):

 God has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
God has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
God has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty. - Luke 1:51-53

How have you found the pain of our culture pooling around you or others in your community? Where is Jesus there? What might it look like to join with Mary in her great protest chant?